


The real owner of Hogwarts and the protectors

by Dragonposeidon



Series: The protectors of balanced [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Multi, based on book not movie, chapters mentionned abuse-rape and other will have a warning at the beginning note
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-20
Updated: 2021-02-13
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:15:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 16
Words: 27,613
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22325428
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dragonposeidon/pseuds/Dragonposeidon
Summary: This first part of the series takes place betweenmiddle of the first war from wizards to ten years of Harry, it mostly brings about the big changes from the original stories of the saga, for a better summary read that of the seriesI specify that this is my first story not being based on Lovestruck and therefore, with the exception of course of the characters and facts from the books of the saga, the story is just my imagination sorry if it is not very good compared to my other stories
Relationships: Bellatrix Black Lestrange/Minerva McGonagall, Filius Flitwick/Pomona Sprout, Lily Evans Potter/Severus Snape, Narcissa Black Malfoy/Molly Weasley, Remus Lupin/Nymphadora Tonks, Rolanda Hooch/Poppy Pomfrey, Sirius Black/Aurora Sinistra
Series: The protectors of balanced [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1606966
Kudos: 14





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> The "..." indicates the dialogues and (...) the thoughts of the characters
> 
> First mention relationships:  
> Bellatrix / OC, Bellatrix / Rodolphus  
> None of these couples is final to my story
> 
> First mention character: Voldemort, Dumbledore, Minerva and Delacourt
> 
> Don't hesitate to comment

If there is a so-called universal rule, it is undoubtedly that from a very young age we are taught the difference between truth and falsehood, the night and day, good and bad, but above all differentiate heroes from bad guys. However, let's not face it, the stories and the stories are always written from the point of view of these so-called heroes. If these people had lost to their adversaries, they would be nothing less than the bad guys.

Because the reality of our world is much more complex as these differences instilled during childhood. Where some of us grow up keeping this fixed and biased idea of good and evil, convincing us that they are the heroes or that they are on their side, that what they are doing is for the greater good of all, others growing up forget these differences.

These other people end up realizing that life is not just black or white. They know that the world is actually made of shading and shades of gray, because it must be admitted, even the most kind and noble of men can commit horrible acts in order to remain a hero in the eyes of all. Conversely, if we know fully the history, the life and the objective of the bad guys ... would they remain as bad in our minds? Because let's not forget, evil is born not, it is to create, shape, elevate and sometimes manipulate by circumstances, the past, the people encountered and the choices made.

It is in this observation and state of mind that in the midst of what the magical world was going to end up calling the ascension of the Dark Lord or else the first wizard war, that a group is formed in secret. All of these members bound by pain or resentment and anger at the actions, not only of the Dark Lord, but also acts of betrayal and manipulation by the chief light. These members were a mixture of Death Eaters, and members of the Order of the Phoenix or even some people who wanted to remain neutral in the conflict.

The trigger for this was, ironically, what the founder of the order of the phoenix had attempt by any means to prevent, the achievement of a prophecy that he had been the only one to hear.

The prophecy in question indicated that the eldest daughter of the noble and still pure house of the Blacks would conceive a child with an ally of a clan faithful to the cause of the order of the phoenix, and that this child would be nothing less than the descendant of the lineage of the founders of the Hogwarts magic school and would become, at his eleven years, the heir and owner having the full power and control over the school going far beyond those of the present or future director.

This is due to the fact that when Salazard Slytherin, had been banned, all of his duty as a founder on Hogwarts had been given to Godric Gryffindor, and as the man had never inherited his duty with that of Salazard had been put aside equal between Rowena Ravenclaw and Helga Hufflepuff. Except at death of her daughter Helena, Rowena had no other child and all the rights and powers of Hogwarts returned to Helga who luckily had several descending over the years, the line diminished, mixed, traveled the world and mated with other species than wizards. Until the last descendant alive doesn't even know who was actually his ancestor, hence the fact that none of them had never claimed his duty to Hogwarts.

Unfortunately for the oldest member of the Black family, better known as the Bellatrix Black, the person hearing this prophecy was Albus Dumbledore, director of Hogwarts who was certainly not going to leave a child take power and control he had over school. He developed and implemented a plan, believing prevent the very creation of the announced child.

According to him, like the person with whom Bellatrix was supposed to have the child owed according to the prophecy be an indirect ally of the order of the Phoenix, pushed the oldest of the Blacks in the ranks of the dark lord would prevent any romance and therefore the birth of a child. As a Bellatrix school principal when he heard the prophecy, it was simple forhim to alter the spirit and memories of the young woman and create a hatred for muggles making the parents of Bellatrix proud.

**It was only during the rise of the Dark Lords that Dumbledore's plan failed...**

Without his knowing it. Bellatrix and other Death Eaters had been sent by their lords to find the veela linked to the French clan Delacourt or to clans ally who had arrived in Britain to help Order of the Phoenix at the request of Minerva McGonagall, who was very close to the Delacourt clan leader.

**During this operation...**

Bellatrix found herself injured and her husband, whom she had never loved, Rodolphus Lestrange was killed. The other Death Eaters fled, leaving Bellatrix at the mercy of the veela, thinking that as a lieutenant of their lord, she would manage to survive.

One of the rare male veela, from the Aqua cousin clan very distant from the Delacourt family, took pity on the woman and decided to bring her back to one of their hidden residences in order to  
neat.

The name of this veela was Charles Aqua, he was charming, and although in opposite camps, Bellatrix found she attracted by the man, and it is a well known to sorcerers, that the women of the Black family are renowned for their beauty and their seductive side. The two ended up having an adventure that had two harmful effects on Albus Dumbledore's plans. 

The first effect being of course the fulfillment of the prophecy on the Hogwarts heir.

The second effect, Charles' veela magic destroyed all spells that the director had put on Bellatrix.

Of course, Charles died when the lord ofdarkness comes to recover his lieutenant, ignoring, thanks to the amazing occlumenty ability of Bellatrix that she was not only pregnant half a veela, but also with her memories and her spirit back, she wanted nothing more have to do with the pure-blood Supremist.

**Two months later, after Bellatrix adventure with Charles and the discovery of her pregnancy, During a night of June, in the wizarding village of Hogsmeade, in a private room in the Three Broom Pub...**

Bellatrix was found looking nervously out the window, waiting to see if the only person she thought could get help, would come to the appointment suggest, that she had sent in a coded message...


	2. Truth and associations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bellatrix confides and gets help to create a secret group fighting against the Dark Lord but also Albus Dumbledore

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The dialogues will start in chapter four
> 
> Relationship mentioned first time: Minerva / Bellatrix  
> Andromeda / Ted  
> Narcissa / Lucius  
> Severus / Lily  
> James / Lily  
> Molly / Arthur 
> 
> New character:  
> Tonks, Petunia and Mme Parkinson
> 
> Do not hesitate to comment

What Bellatrix Lestrange, who became Black again thanks to Rodolphus' death, was unaware that Minerva McGonagall, assistant director of Hogwarts, chief of Gryffindor and professor of metamorphosis, would never have refused to meet a former student supplicant for her help. Even if this request could turn out to be a trap.

Because where Bellatrix Black was considered to be the lieutenant of the Dark Lord, Minerva was known as that of Dumbledore.

The truth is that the fact that the former student asking for help happened to be Bellatrix was what really made Minerva show up for the meeting.

The Scottish woman was secretly fall in love with the young Bellatrix while she was still her pupil during the sixth year of it. The most interesting thing about it is that she didn't know that her romantic feelings had in fact returned to her, even at the time. Bellatrix who had forgotten them due to manipulations of her mind by Dumbledore, but they were now well back in her heart.

**During a night of June, in the wizarding village of Hogsmeade, in a private room in the Three Broom Pub...**

When she agreed to go meet Bellatrix, Minerva would never have expected to find out all the horrors of what Dumbledore had dared to do to the woman she loved, and all just to keep control on the magic school.

Because once she had recovered her memories, Bellatrix had done everything to find out why the headmaster of Hogwarts had largely destroyed her life, and she succeeds in discovering the prophecy concerning her unborn child, a prophecy of which she informed Minerva.

After the discovery of this prophecy, Dumbledore's actions and having discussed at length what this man was clearly ready to do in order to keep the profile of hero of light with respect to the magical world, Minerva and Bellatrix both began to agreed to try to find other secrets and manipulation that Dumbledore would have done, similar to those he had worn on Bellatrix.

The two women found several and thanks to this, they were able to obtain allies, recruiting from the world wanting to oppose the dark lord, but who had also been flouted by Albus Dumbledore, without even knowing it.

It made sense to start with the Bellatrix sisters.

**After deciding to meet their new secret group at the Minerva family mansion...**

Where no one from the Order of the Phoenix, especially Dumbledore, could  
entering without Minerva's authorization, the latter invited Andromeda to her manor to undo spells that Dumbledore had put on the woman without her knowledge.

Indeed, even if none of the Black sisters shared their parents' opinion on Muggles and that it wouldn't bother she to marry a Muggle-born, Andromeda had never really been in love with Ted Tonks.

**Dumbledore had realized during the modifications to the spirit of the elder Black...**

That Bellatrix's love for her little sisters could prevent the woman from really following the Dark Lord despite his spells. As the youngest was already linked in an arranged marriage to a future Death Eater, he therefore had Andromeda to manage.

Dumbledore had then imposed spells and manipulated the spirit of the younger Black shortly after that of Bellatrix leading her to believe that she was in love with a muggle-born, thus making her denied by her parents and removing she of her older sister, making Bellatrix sink a little more into the dark, as Dumbledore wished.

**Once Andromeda's spirit was restored and the spells lifted...**

She quickly reconciled with Bellatrix and when she learned all that Dumbledore had done, she hastened to divorce her husband.

Ted Tonks was actually pretty happy about it, since after the birth of their daughter he felt trapped in this marriage preventing him from realizing his dreams, especially since he had never really wanted to have children. So when Andromeda wanted to leave him, he willingly left she their house and all the dues on Nymphadora, he then left in the desire to explore the world.

The Tonks' Divorce surprised Dumbledore, but he said after so many years his spells on Andromeda must have weakened and as this marriage had, at least he believed it, accomplished what he wanted, he didn't care leaving Andromeda and his daughter free to join the secret group of Bellatrix and Minerva.

Obviously Andromeda and Bellatrix set out to bring their little sister in their group.

**Bellatrix bringing it at the Minerva mansion...**

During a supposed outing between sisters, depending on what she tell the curious Death Eaters. Narcissa, who was then pregnant with a son of her husband Lucius, whom she did not love and who was nothing more than an arranged marriage, was delighted to reconnect with Andromeda and met her niece for the first time. On the other hand was furious at what Dumbledore had done to their family.

By doing their research Minerva and Bellatrix discovered that the Prophecy about Bellatrix's child was not the only that Dumbledore had heard and wanted to use to his advantage.

Indeed, Dumbledore had heard a prophecy leaving him thinking that Lily Evans should absolutely have a son with James Potter because their child would be the key to defeating the Dark Lord, the only worry about that ... Lily was completely in love with Severus Snape, Dumbledore's solution ... other spells and manipulations, sending Severus to turn to the Death Eaters and Lily falling for James.

**This had worked until a little over a year ago...**

Subjected to several cruciatus of the Dark Lord, following the failure of a mission, Severus had regained his spirit and was gone to find Lily freeing her from the Hogwarts Director's spells.

**Unfortunately, at that time...**

The lovers did not think about protecting themselves from Dumbledore and they barely had time to reconnect and make love before the old man showed up and recreated his spells in addition to some new ones. Thus hiding the fact that Lily was now pregnant with Severus' child.

**When Lily gave birth to a pretty girl...**

The director changed the woman's memory a little more and took the child. He left the baby with a muggle couple whose father was actually a squib and therefore knew magic and the headmaster of Hogwarts. The couple were unable to conceive despite their desire to have one and they believed Dumbledore when he told them that the girl's parents had died due to the wizard war. They happily adopted the girl without knowing that she was in fact a kidnapped child.

As a member of the order, he was not hard  
for Minerva to bring Lily and Severus home to restore their spirit a second time, making sure of course that this time Dumbledore would stay in ignorance.

Severus was delighted, sad and angry to discover that he had a daughter he could not know before she entered Hogwarts to avoid the risk of Dumbledore. As the potions master was deeply in love with Lily, he was not bothered by the fact that she was currently pregnant with James Potter, assuring the woman that he would love and take as much care of the boy as of their daughter and of her as well.

Minerva had also discovered that according to Dumbledore, Lily and James were supposed to die on their son's one-year Halloween. Order of course successfully completed their plans, but their group had other plans to counter the old man.

Lily discovered that her sister, Petunia, should always have go to Hogwarts with her and she didn't hate actually magic, being a witch herself. But if the two Evans sisters had been together at the magic school, it would have been much more complicated for Dumbledore to manipulate and have the confidence of Lily. Man had therefore block the magic of the elder Evans and put spells making her despised magic and therefore his little sister by the same opportunity.

As Petunia was currently pregnant, Lily managed to convince her to meet to discuss their pregnancy together.

**As soon as Petunia was handy...**

Lily apparated at Minerva's and before her sister can make a crisis, Lily and the others lifted the spells and restore the magic of Petunia. After the shock and the explanations, the woman burst into tears in the arms of her little sister, the rest of the group promising Petunia to protect her and her child from Dumbledore, they will get her a magic wand in secret to show her to control her newly found powers.

It appeared to the group that Dumbledore certainly liked playing cupid, but obviously by the right kind. The old fool was the one actually responsible for the marriage between Arthur and Molly Weasley.

Another prophecy had indicated to the director that the child of the sixth pregnancy of Molly would become extremely close to the son of James and Lily Potter. Which would be an added advantage for the director to control the young Potter.

Fortunately for the protectors, it turned out that Dumbledore misunderstood this prophecy and he believed that the child near Potter would be the sixth child of Molly and Arthur and not the sixth pregnancy of Molly would be her seventh child.

The group also discovered that Arthur was actually an ally of Dumbledore and unlike Molly he had had no spell to force him to marry the woman and conceive, only Dumbledore's promise that once the Dark Lord died, he would be rich.

Molly, who was pregnant with her sixth son, the one Dumbledore wanted to use to his advantage.

**Went to delight in having tea at Minerva's when she invited Molly...**

The group was able to free the woman from Dumbledore's spells. From that moment she joins the protector, regularly bringing three of her other sons to Play with Nymphadora.

The last original member of their group happened to be Narcissa's best childhood friend, Patricia Parkinson. Woman also forced into arranged marriage to death eater while she didn't care about blood-based ideas. She was currently pregnant with a girl whom her husband was already selling in an arranged marriage to the unborn son of Lucius and Narcissa.

Although the two women hoped for a great friendship between their children, neither of them wanted to force them into a marriage or impose on them the fathers of pure blood.

**Narcissa brought Patricia to one of the group meetings...**

The woman joined them with joy.

**Over time...**

Many friendships and even romances formed in this secret group. This one grows with other trusted people  
misled by Dumbledore and against the actions of the Dark Lord, joining them. They welded forming plans to counter the two powerful wizards and save the magical and muggle world from the greed of these two men.

Thus was founded, and continues to exist, The Protectors of Balance!


	3. Like a family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The dynamics within the Protectors group, new members are added and the generation of Harry Potter is born

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The dialogues will start in the next chapter
> 
> First mention relationships:  
> Andromeda/Mrs Parkinson,  
> Poppy/Rolanda,  
> Flitwick/ Sprout,  
> Sinistra/Sirius,  
> Remus/Tonks
> 
> First mention character:  
> OC female,  
> Harry Potter,  
> Ron Weasley,  
> Dudley Dursley,  
> Draco Malfoy,  
> Pansy Parkinson,  
> Lovegood family,  
> Bill Weasley,  
> Charlie Weasley,  
> Percy Weasley,  
> Weasley twins,  
> Longbottom family,  
> Hermione Granger
> 
> Comment without hesitation

A little over a year passed after the foundation balance protectors bringing many change for its members.

**First, during this year after the meeting**   
**of Bellatrix and Minerva with three brooms...**

New members join the group in addition to those they had recruited initially.

Some did it, like Patricia Parkinson, out of friendship, others through disgust at the actions undertaken by Albus Dumbledore and, unfortunately, there were those who had also been unconscious victims of  
actions of the head of the order of the Phoenix and who allied with the protectors after they had shown them evidence of what Albus had done to them, or intended to have them in the near to come up.

**The addition of member began when...**

The first of the many pregnant women in their group was about to give birth, the protectors realized at that time the need to have a mediwizard in their workforce. Minerva then called to her best friend since her school years, Poppy Pomfrey the Hogwarts nurse.

The matron rushed to the aid of Minerva who informed her of Dumbledore's actions. Poppy felt outraged that someone could do such acts and she therefore joined with pleasure her best friend, bringing to the meetings of the protectors her secret wife, except for the privileged few including the members of the Protectors, Rolanda Hooch the former professional beater of Quidditch now flight instructor and arbitrator match official at Hogwarts, this is where the two women fell in love and decided to marry, they had to keep the secret due to war and the fear that one of them could be used as a lever against the other if their relationship came to be known.

**Once the nurse and the flight teacher of the school of magic having joined their group...**

Minerva and Severus both agreed on the fact that having more Hogwarts staff members with them would certainly help their cause.

After several discussions with the other Protectors, they decided to recruit three new members becoming faithful to their cause.

These three members were close friends of Minerva joining the protectors out of friendship and devotion to the woman.  
The first two were Filius Flitwick professor of charm and enchantment, director of the house Ravenclaw and his wife, Pomona Sprout professor of botany and director of the Hufflepuff house. Their relationship unlike Poppy and Rolanda was no secret.

The couple brought with them, a friend of Severus to Hogwarts, the professor of astronomy Sinistra who was saddened by the fact that her friend had a daughter whom he could not even meet for several years due to the fault of the school principal.

**After recruiting members from Hogwarts...**

The Protector wanted to see who from the order of the Phoenix might become more loyal to their cause than to that by Albus Dumbledore.

It was with this idea that Lily managed to convince two of James' friends who was no longer her husband now.

The Potter wedding was still valid to the world, but it had been canceled in secret thanks to Andromeda's ministerial relations, just like the marriages of  
Narcissa, Patricia, Molly and Petunia.

The two men Lily decided to recruit were much more related to the sweet and  
benevolent young woman than James. Although James was their school friend, the two men considered that it had not matured since their years of study and he was getting a little too close to Albus Dumbledore, both of whom distrusted him because of his many secrets and schemes.

Because of this, Remus Lupin former prefect of Gryffindor and werewolf inunemployment because of his condition joined the protectors. He was accompanied by Sirius Black who, when he learned what Dumbledore had done  
to his cousins in particular at Bellatrix, had to be held by force so as not to go to challenge the old man in a duel and try to tear off his head.

**Two couples of Molly's friends being part of the order also joined the protectors after learning what Dumbledore had done to their friend with her love spell...**

The Protectors therefore welcome the Lovegood who was expecting a child and the Longbottom who was also expecting their first child.

Each of the new members joined forces with the old ones to help Petunia learn to secretly master their magical abilities and find them again. The group focused on non-verbal magic, then magic without a wand so that Petunia could use her gifts even in her house despite the presence of a muggle nearby.

In addition to new members and learning  
of Petunia, what changed within the Protectors was the relationships between  
group members, more specifically romances and even some secret marriages, hidden by spells from the rest of the world just like they had done for divorced.

Minerva and Bellatrix continued to get closer thanks to the pregnancy of the elder Black. The Scottish woman was there with Bellatrix at almost every stage, reaching the whim of the pregnant woman, creating a great friendship between them, but none daring to bring that further in case their romantic feelings did not return. Although all the other members of their group were able to see love between them.

The cadet Black began to approach Patricia Parkinson with whom she got along from the time they were two young Slytherins. In addition to that, Andromeda  
was delighted to see how her daughter, Nymphadora, seemed to appreciate the other woman.

The romantic relationship that surprised the Protectors the most, including the two people concerned, was that of Narcissa and Molly. The two women had become friends thanks to the rivalry between their former husbands.

**During the past year...**

Had started to feel strong feelings between them. The two women were the second secret marriage celebrated in their group.

The first of the protectors' secret marriage was that of Severus and Lily. Obviously as soon as the spells of Dumbledore were removed, their memory of return and the hidden divorce of Lily and James finalized, Severus and the young woman had hastened to bond their love, strengthening it and allowing Severus to be officially, though secretly, the adoptive father of the son to born of Lyli.

Although unlike his cousin Andromeda, Sirius was not yet in a relationship, however, it was not uncommon to see him flirting regularly with Sinistra during group meetings.

His old friend Remus Lupin had a moment of dread. Unfortunately for him, the werewolves just like the veela have companions in love intended, and the man almost got to be cursed by the three Black sisters and even by Sirius when he confessed to the other Protectors that his companion was none other than Andromeda's young daughter. Fortunately,  
Remus succeeded in calming the fury of the Black clan by assuring them that he would never do anything but a friendship with Nymphadora as long as it is not major. That was fine with the sisters and Sirius.

Obviously, what changed the most among the Protectors was the birth of the children and the relationships between them and the members of the group.

**Bellatrix gave birth to a girl...**

Girl with hair as black as hers but soft and smooth as those of her late father veela French, whose allied clan and cousin of the deceased man received pictures of the child whose purple eyes already showed her veela nature.

The Delacour clan chief sent back a letter to the elder Black and a package containing a envelope putting a Gringotts bank account in common with the one Bellatrix had created for her daughter and secretly linked to the safe intended for theheir of Hogwarts after the goblins loyal to the founders of the school and not its director had confirmed that the child was indeed an heir and swore to keep it secret. The package also contained a splendid blanket with the name of the sewn girl with veela hair as the thread of each member of the Delacour clan.

Minerva was named godmother of the little girl of Bellatrix who had decided to adopt the only and unique Black family tradition they had really liked either naming the kids after a star or a constellation. Bellatrix offered her daughter the name of Athena Black.

Andromeda was very happy to see how her daughter had become attached to her  
cousin well that she loved just as quickly  
their cousin.

A cousin bearing the name of Draco Black, although thanks to the lot of the protectors he remained Draco Malfoy for  
the rest of the world. 

**Narcissa had given birth to her son before her sister gave birth to Athena...**

Draco already seemed good friends with Harry Potter, Lily's son and godson of Sirius the protectors agreed after the birth of the boy that being to give his similitude to his biological father James, Severus should hate the child in public to avoid suspicion. Of course Harry would know the truth and Severus would deal with it kindly in private in the presence of trusted people.

Lily and Severus managed to find their daughter through several spells, but both knew they had to let her live with her adoptive parents squib and muggle so as not to alert Dumbledore. They took either to verify that she was in a loving family, then they wrote a letter and made a jar of memories, they also created a secret account at Gringotts for the eleven years of their child. Their daughter would then learn the truth about her adoption, who her parents are, what Dumbledore and she did to a half-brother, while knowing protectors and those in whom she can trust and who to distrust.

**Petunia gave birth to her son Dudley shortly before Harry came...**

Protectors learn that the director of Hogwarts had made a visit Petunia saying that it was to reassure her that her son was a muggle and not a monster like her sister Lily. It had taken the woman all her self-control not to strangle the old fool.

**The group was hardly surprised when, after that Petunia had brought Dudley to his first reunion after birth...**

They discovered the same spells on the toddler as Dumbledore had thrown Elder Evans for years rather. They of course hastened to destroy them and Dudley easily linked after that to his cousin as well as to other children of the Protectors.

**Patricia gave birth to a pretty girl by the name of Pansy...**

Who, luckily would never have to marry Draco if she did not want to, although these two already had a good understanding, the arranged marriage had been canceled at the same time as the divorces of their respective parents without the two fathers death eater  
don't know it and at the joy of Patricia and Andromeda, Nymphadora seemed to like young Pansy as much than other children.

Molly was slightly saddened by to realize that Dumbledone and Arthur had already got hold of Bill and Percy too much to bring them on the side of the protectors, in addition because of the misinterpretation of Albus on the prophecy of the child Weasley, he was already doing everything to get Ronald who was the same age as Harry.

Fortunately, Molly was able to save Charlie and the twins Fred and George from Dumbledore's plans. The three boys loved the Protectors' meetings and were the few other people the adults of the group to know the union between Narcissa and their mother as well as the truth about the pregnancy current Molly, and the real Weasley close to the son of Lily and James according to the prophecy. That is to say that the baby was not the child of Arthur Weasley but the baby of Narcissa that the two women had magically conceived during their wedding night.

Despite all this positive, the protectors knew that the end of October of this  
year there would be the beginning of the realization of some plans they had made and that after that they should stay in touch and careful despite what he knew would only be the calm between two moments.

What worried them all was that no plan is ever perfect and that Albus Dumbledore tends to know a little too much about the future ...


	4. A long day for Mr. Dursley

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is based on the first chapter of the first volume of the saga with the modifications due to my imagination
> 
> We officially meet Mr. Dursley

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The "..." indicates the dialogues  
> The (...) indicates a thought
> 
> Relations: Petunia/Vernon
> 
> Your comments are always appreciated

Petunia Evans, who still wore the family name Dursley in the eyes of the world, thanks to spells used to keep her divorce secret for now, including for her ignorant former husband, still lived with the man rude, who was not as muggle as Petunia  
had previously believed.

The Protectors had discovered that in addition to the spells carried out on Petunia when she was young, Albus Dumbledore had also set up the meeting and especially the future marriage between Vernon Dursley and the elder Evans.

Mr Dursley was not a muggle but in reality a squib who hated the wizarding world because the lack of magic was responsible in his eyes for the abandonment of his sister Marge and himself by their supremacist parents of pureblood.

**When Petunia was still young...**

Dumbledore had found Vernon Dursley through his contacts promising his sister Marge and him muggle lives perfectly normal and easy on one condition.

Vernon was to marry Petunia Evans take share in his plans for the woman and her family, including a future nephew. Mr Dursley, a stingy and lazy man quickly accepted the old wizard's offer.

**And today, many years after his commitment to Dumbledore's malicious plans...**

Mr. Dursley was at the head of a perfectly normal and above all prosperous muggle business that manufactured and sold construction and renovation tools.

Mr. Dursley was still a medium height, but now, thanks to the easy life offered by Dumbledore, he had become very fat, to the point where he had practically no neck. The man had a very unkempt bushy mustache that was dark brown like his hair and mud-like eyes.

Petunia was fortunate to be much more  
attractive than her ex-husband. The woman had returned thin and slender after giving birth to her son, just like her younger sister. Petunia's caramel blonde hair had grown longer and was now at the height of her shoulders framing the features of her face and thus highlighting her long graceful neck, although in some such a long neck could have appeared disproportionate, thanks to its silhouette and features that only improved the beauty of Petunia.

Petunia also had the advantage of appearing to Mr. Dursley as a housewife taking care of their son during the day while he worked in city, which allowed the woman to secretly practice her found magic and see the other protectors without her ex-husband is no longer wise.

Dudley, the son that Petunia had with Mr Dursley was, in the eyes of his mother, the most beautiful child in the world, although she also liked very much the offspring of the other protectors, in particular her nephew Harry and the little Athena with whom she quickly became fond. Mr Dunsley meanwhile didn't even want his son in the first place and paid him no attention.

**When the Dursleys woke up on this Tuesday morning...**

It was gray and sad outside, well in the cloudy and depressing autumn sky only predicted strange and mysterious things, other than the day after the Halloween festivity, were going to happen soon in all the countries. 

But Petunia knew better, the Protectors' last meetings had been devoted to planning this day and the day before it since months already.

Mr Dursley groaned as he tied a hideous tie black with orange polka dots to go to work faster possible. 

Petunia told the story of Nigthmare Before Christmast in a joyful tone to Dudley who babbled, delighted to hear his mother's voice. Only the woman noticed the big black owls fluttering quickly in front of the kitchen window, she smiled while preparing breakfast, never stopping the story for her son.

**At six and forty-five minutes...**

Mr. Dursley caught his briefcase, ordered Petunia to make roast beef for supper, and looked rather selflessly at Dudley. The one year old toddler was having a little tantrum, upset that he couldn't play with his cousin and his friends that day.

As their plan was currently underway, just like those of Dumbledore, the Protectors had decided at their last meeting not to regroup for at least two months and it did not please children who were bored of each other, as well as adults they had finished by partner with family.

Mr Dursley shrugged indifferently, never  
little concern for the child or the complications he might give to Petunia.

**The man got out of the house...**

To get into his gray metallized luxury car and back down the driveway to get to his office on time in the downtown.

**It happened around the corner...**

That Mr Dursley noticed for the first time since he woke up a unusual detail: A tabby cat reading a letter!

For a moment, Mr Dursley was shocked by what he had just seen. He then turns his head to see the animal better. The tabby cat is there, sitting at the corner of Privet Drive, but not the slightest grace from a letter or even from some piece of paper in front of him.

The squib then turns the corner and commits in traffic while continuing to observe the cat in his rear view mirror. The animal is now reading the plaque indicating: Privet Drive.

 _(No, he doesn't read the plate, he looks at it that's all, the stupid cats are unable to read either a plaque or a letter.)_ So think Mr Dursley as he pulls himself together and drives the tabby cat out of his mind.

**When Mr Dursley arrives on the outskirts of the city...**

A something else catches his attention. He notices the presence of several idiots ... at first sight of the wizards dressed in capes.

 _(Maybe it's just muggles and one of them saw a wizard who didn't dress properly and he used it as inspiration to create a new stupid fashion! Or maybe he's is a kind of fantasy literature fan club who doesn't know the truth about this crazy world.)_ Think Mr Dursley bitter and slightly disgusted.

The line of cars, which had stopped due  
morning traffic jam, resumes movement and a few moments later, Mr Dursley is parked in the parking lot of his company. Work back to the forefront of his mind.

**On the eighth and last floor of the building, Mr Dursley enters his office at seven o'clock fifteen as usual...**

The man sits on his chair, back to the large window and gets to work ignoring what is going on behind him.

Right now owls were flying in broad daylight, while they were nocturnal animals and several of them seemed to have letters and even packages hanging on their talons.

But Mr Dursley didn't see them at all and he just spent his morning lazing around and giving orders as he liked make.

**Arrived at dinner time...**

He wanted to get some fresh air, the man hated walking, but he loved the bakery on the other hand in front of his work building.

People in capes had gone out of his mind, but when he saw them again in front of the store where he bought his dinner, he passed in front of them with a dark look, these people remind him of his parents and that puts him on the edge of his nerves.

**When Mr Dursley came out of the bakery...**

With a big maple glazed donut and filled with pants, an hour after entering the store, he heard a few words from the group's conversation of people dressed in cape.  
"The Potters, is that it? That's what I heard..."  
"Yes, their son, Harry..."

Mr Dursley comes to a standstill then, overcome by a sudden discomfort, he shakes himself and crosses the street as fast as his big body can do. He takes the elevator up to his floor and goes to his office, ordering his secretary not to disturb him except for an emergency, he grabs the landline phone and almost ends up dialing his home number.

**When he changed his mind...**

_(No, definitely I'm too stressed, Potter is not a rare family name, there are probably many Potter who have a son named Harry and then it is not even certain that the sister's kid at Petunia is even called Harry, and no need to seek information from my silly wife, his last contact with these monsters was a letter from his sister there are over a year.)_ Reflects Mr Dursley, putting the phone down.

**During the afternoon...**

Mr. Dursley had more trouble lazing and leaving the building at five o'clock he was still concerned he hurried to get in his car and take the way to his house.

**When Mr. Dursley enters the aisle of his**   
**home...**

The first thing he saw that didn't help his mood was the tabby cat he had seen that morning.

Now the cat is sitting on the wall of the front yard of the squib. Mr. Dursley is sure it is the same cat, he recognizes the patterns of the coat around feline eyes.  
"Get out!" Exclaims the man.

The cat does not move, he only looks at the human with a severe air.

**Mr Dursley regains his composure and enters his house...**

Leaving the cat in front of his house.

Petunia, unlike Mr. Dursley, had spent a pleasant day. She had taken care of Dudley and had practiced her magic in secret as he had teaching the other members of the Protectors, the woman was pretty happy despite the events she knew would happen soon.

**After Dudley was put to bed...**

Mr. Dursley settled into his lounge chair as always to watch the news.  
"It seems that the owls behaved strangely today, these raptors are nocturnal animals, but today, hundreds of people said these birds fly in broad daylight almost everywhere since dawn, that's good mysterious, now here's the weather forecast with Jim McGuffin, over to you Jim." Said the presenter.

The image on television passed to the man of the weather.  
"Know Ted that the owls weren't the only thing mysterious today, people living in the regions of kent, yokshire and scotland have contacted me to inform me that instead of the downpour announced yesterday, they were treated to real rains of shooting stars!" Man informed.

Mr Dursley froze in his horrified chair.

 _(Rains of shooting stars all over the country? Owls flying in broad daylight! People dressed in capes? And those murmurs, the murmurs on the Potters...?)_ Thought Mr. Dursley frightened.

**Petunia then enters the living room...**

With her cup of evening tea so that she too can watch the evening news.

Mr. Dursley clears his throat.  
"Have you heard from your sister recently?" He asks.

Petunia pretended to be upset and shocked, when in reality she refrained from making fun of the man.  
"No, not since the birth announcement  
her son, why? "she replied.  
"On TV, they talked about owls, shooting stars and there were lots of people dressed in capes... " Explains Mr Dursley.  
"So what is your point?"  
"I thought ... it had to do with ... these monsters ..."

Petunia rolls up her delicate lips while drinking her tea, refraining from yelling at the man that it is Albus Dumbledore and him the real monsters.  
"Their sons ... He's about the same age as Dudley isn't he?" Continue Mr Dursley without knowing that the woman is on the verge of cursing him.  
"Yes, except for a few months, he's younger than Dudley." Petunia responds by refraining from using magic.  
"What is his name already?"  
"Harry, Lily named her after our deceased father."  
"Ah OK..."

At Petunia's response, Mr Dursley felt his heart stop slightly and he didn't say a word about it until bedtime.

**While Petunia was in the bathroom...**

Stood mentally and emotionally preparing for this she knew how to come the next day, Mr Dursley told her creeps into the bedroom window. He looks towards the front of his house, seeing the tabby cat still where he was when he arrived from work earlier.

**Petunia and Mr Dursley went to bed...**

The woman fell asleep very quickly thanks to a dreamless sleep potion that she had secretly taken from the bathroom, the squib stays awake turning over in her mind the events of the day.

The only thought consoling Mr Dursley before he fell asleep, was that even if the Potters really had something to do with what there is no reason for him to suffer the consequences. The squib yawns and turns around.

 _(None of this can affect me.)_ Think Mr. Dursley.

And it was very wrong to think so.


	5. First fall of the black king

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Always based on the first chapter of the first volume of the saga
> 
> Here is the abandonment of Harry among the Dursleys and the disappearance of Voldemort leading to the end of the first wizard war

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hagrid is not a villain but he is very easily manipulated, too much to be a protector
> 
> Character:  
> Hagrid first appearance  
> Voldemort first mention of his name
> 
> Relationship :  
> Lily / James

**While Mr. Dursley gets carried away in a somewhat agitated sleep...**

The cat on the wall at the front of the house, shows him no sign of drowsiness. The feline remains seated, motionless like a statue, its wide open eyes staring at the corner of Privet Drive.

The cat has no reaction whatsoever when a car door slams into the adjacent street, nor does when two owls decide to fly over his head while brushing against his ears.

**It is almost midnight when the cat finally moves...**

It moves when a man appears at the corner of the street which he had observed for most of the day. Man appears so suddenly and in such silence that seems to have sprung from the ground. The cat's tail stands up and its feline eyes narrow.

The man who has just appeared is tall, slender and very old, judging by his hair and beard, reaching down to his waist and being silver in color. The man is wearing a long robe and a purple cape sweeping the  
on the ground, he is wearing high heel boots with golden buckles. The man's blue eyes sparkle behind half-moon glasses and his long hooked nose give the impression of having been broken at least twice this man is none other than Albus Dumbledore.

Dumbledore hardly cares that he has just arrived on a street where absolutely everything in him, from his name to his  
boots, is nothing but junk. He is too busy looking for something in his cape, but he realizes that he is being watched and he looks up abruptly, his blue eyes finding the cat who is still staring at him from the other end of the street. The sight of the feline amuses the man who has a little laugh and whispers for himself.  
"I should have known."

Dumbledore finally finds what he was looking for in his cape, it is a gold lighter. He pulls up the cap, reaches over his head and activates it. The street lamp the one closest to him then goes out with a little click. The man activates the lighter again and ... the next street lamp goes out in turn. Dumbledore starts again do this a dozen times until there is no no light in the street except for two tiny dots shining in the distance ...

They are the eyes of the cat still fixed on Dumbledore.

Anyone who at this moment would have looked through window, would have been unable to see any details of what was happening now on the street.

Dumbledore puts his lighter in his cape and walks towards number four. 

**When he gets there...**

He sits on the wall just next to the cat. Man does not grant a look at the feline, but after a moment of silence, he speaks to his.  
"It's fun to see you here, Minerva."

Dumbledore turns his head to smile at the tabby cat, but the cat is gone.

The man is now smiling at a stern looking woman wearing square glasses that have exactly the same shape as the patterns around the cat's eyes. She is dressed in a cape of an emerald green putting her eyes in values, her black ebony hair pulled in a tight bun and she is singularly annoyed.

Minerva McGonagall turns to Dumbledore.  
"How did you know it was me and not a stray cat?" Asked she irritated and especially worried that the old fool is discovered the existence of the Protectors.  
"My dear friend, I have never seen a cat stand so stiffly." Replied Dumbledore.  
"Well, you would also be stiff if you sat all day on a brick wall." Replies Minerva relieved that her secret is intact.  
"All day? When you could have celebrated with the others? Coming here, I must have seen a good dozen parties and banquets."

Minerva sniffed at this information.  
"Yes, I am well aware of it, everyone is celebrating." She said annoyingly. "You would think they would be more careful, but not at all! Even the Muggles noticed it, they talked about it in their news."

Minerva nods at the window of Petunia's living room, plunged into the darkness of the night.  
"I heard it, they reported the theft of owls ... the rains of shooting stars ... Muggles are not totally stupid, it was inevitable that they would notice!" She says.  
"We can't blame them, we haven't had much to celebrate in eleven years." Mention Dumbledore.  
"I know it very well!" Said Minerva. "This is not a reason to lose our minds and become reckless, we would be in a real mess if the day you-know-who disappeared, the muggles realize our  
existence! He's gone, isn't he Albus?"

Although knowing the answer to this question, Minerva knew that she had to play the ignorant for the good of the Protectors' plans. Dumbledore meanwhile rummaged through his cloak once again.  
"It looks like it is, indeed, and we all have reason to talk to each other." He said. "How about a lemon popsicle?"  
"A what?" Wonders Minerva.  
"A lemon poscicle is a muggle frozen treat and it's very good."  
"No thanks."

Minerva no longer accepted any food or any drink from Dumbledore since her  
meeting with Bellatrix who had led to the creation of Protectors.  
"I was telling you that even if you know who really is gone ... " She starts to say before Dumbledore interrupts her.  
"Minerva someone as reasonable as you should not hesitate to pronounce his name, don't you think? This way of saying 'You know who' makes no sense."

Dumbledore then takes out two lemon popsicles from his cape while Minerva gives him a piercing look.  
"Owls are nothing compared to the rumors going around." She declares knowing full well the truth of the false of these rumors. "What everyone is saying about the reason for the disappearance of you-know-who ...? Or Lord Voldemort, if you insist, what ended up stopping him? What they are saying is that Voldemort went to Godric's Hollow last night to pick up the Potters, rumor has it Lily and James are ... well said they are dead ... "

Dumbledore nods in confirmation.  
"... I didn't want to admit it." Sigh Minerva well aware that the man next to her is completely mocking the fate of the supposed couple.

Dumbledore had practically put up the Potter deaths for years instead.  
"That's not all." Resumed Minerva. '' It is said that he tried to kill Harry their son, but he was unable to, he failed to eliminate this toddler and nobody knows how or why, but everyone says that when Voldemort tried to kill Harry Potter without success, his power broke and that's why he ... disappeared. "

Dumbledore nods once more to confirm.  
"Really?" Minerva pretended to be surprised. "It's amazing ... nothing else could have stopped ... but how is it that Harry Potter could have survived?"  
"We can only make assumptions."

Dumbledore takes a watch out of his pocket or consults it, it's a strange watch, it has twelve hands, but no numbers, instead there are small planets going around in circles at the edge of the dial, the man puts the watch back in place after a moment then he speaks again.  
"Hagrid is late, by the way, I imagine it was he who told you that I would be here?"

Minerva had, in fact, known long before Dumbledore would be there this very evening, but she thought it prudent to pretend it was Hagrid who had informed her so as to avoid the old man's suspicions later.  
"Yes." She said then. "And I guess you don't have planning to tell me why you came here specifically? "  
"I came to entrust Harry to his aunt and uncle, it's the only family she has left." Dumbledore replies.  
"You mean ... no, it's not possible!" Calls out Minerva using her hatred for Dumbledore to look suitably indignant in the eyes of the man. "Not the people who live in this house, Albus!"

Dumbledore sigh convinced by Minerva's performance.  
"It is the best place for him, his uncle and aunt will explain everything when he is older, I wrote them a letter." He said.  
"A letter?" Said Minerva who no longer needs to pretend to be indignant, because now she really is.

Minerva refrains from saying what she thinks and instead asks a question.  
"How is he getting here?"  
"Hagrid must bring it." Dumbledore replies.  
"And you think it's wise to assign a task too important to Hagrid? "

This was information the Protectors hadn't had, if it had, they would have added protections on Harry for his safety.  
"I will have my own life in Hagrid." Assure Dumbledore.  
"I'm not saying he lacks heart." Said Minerva, and she really meant it. "But recognize that he can be quite negligent, he tends to ... what is that?"

**A roaring sound breaks the silence of the night...**

The noise increases in intensity as Minerva and Dumbledore scan the dark street for what is causing it. The rumble slowly turns into a firecracker above their heads. They look up and see a huge motorcycle descend from the night sky to land in front of them on the road.

The motorcycle is huge, but it is nothing compared to the man sitting on it, this one is about twice as tall as the average and at least five times wider, it is so tall that we have hardly believe it. It looks like a kind of barbarian with his long dark brown hair in brushwood and his beard which almost hides his entire face, his hands are the size of a trash can lid and his feet are shod in leather boots resembling to baby dolphins.

The giant holds in his huge muscular arms, a heap of blanket.  
"Hagrid." Said Dumbledore. "Here you are, where did you find this flying motorcycle?"  
"Borrowed it, director." Hagrid responds by going down of motorcycle with precaution. "Sirius Black lent it to me."

 _(Oh, no! Sirius, what are you doing?)_ Think Minerva worried.

Without realizing Minerva's inner state, Hagrid approaches her and Dumbledore.  
"I managed to bring it to you, sir." He said to the director.  
"Did you have any problem?" Dumbledore asks him.  
"No sir, the house is almost completely destroyed, but I managed to get him out of there before the muggles arrived, he fell asleep flying over Bristol."

Dumbledore and Minerva lean over the heap of blanket. In the center of it, barely visible, is a toddler sleeping deeply and under a tuft of jet-black hair, the two adults distinguish a strange lightning-shaped cut on the toddler's forehead.  
"Is that where ...?" Minerva whispers.  
"Yes." Dumbledore replies. "He will keep this scar forever, give it to me Hagrid, it's time to do the right thing."

**Dumbledore takes Harry in his arms and turns to the house of Petunia and Mr. Dursley...**

"Can ... can I say goodbye to him, sir?" Hagrid asks.

Hagrid leans big shaggy head at Harry and gives him a kiss on the forehead. Then suddenly the giant lets out a long howl of wounded dog.  
"Hush!" Minerva hisses, looking around. "You're going to wake up the muggles!"  
"So ... sorry!" Sobs Hagrid. "I ... I can't get it done ... Lily and James dead and that poor little muggle among Harry ..."

**While Minerva tries to console Hagrid, Dumbledore steps over the wall and walks towards the porch of the house...**

Carefully, he places Harry on the doorstep, leaves a letter from his cape, slips it between Harry's blankets and then returns to the other two adults.

**For a brief moment...**

Minerva, Dumbledore and Hagrid remained motionless looking at the small pile of blankets, Hagrid's shoulders trembled, Minerva thought about the repercussions tonight's events and Dumbledore tries not to show his joy at what he thinks is another of his plans perfectly executed with others of his plans taking place.

Dumbledore ended up breaking the moment by talking to Minerva and Hagrid.  
"Well, there is no point in staying here, you might as well join the others to party."  
"Yes." Accept Hagrid. "I'm going to return his motorcycle to Sirius, good night, Professor McGonagall, good night, director."

Wiping his tearful eyes from his sleeve, Hagrid get on the motorcycle and start the engine.

**Then it rises in the air and disappears at night...**

"See you soon, Minerva." Said Dumbledore.

**Dumbledore walks away along the street and stops at the corner...**

He resumes his lighter and operates it once and twelve luminous balls then return to the lampposts. Privet Drive is again bathed in an orange light and the man distinguishes the silhouette of a cat turning the corner of the street, he also sees the pile of blankets in front of the door of number four.

Dumbledore turns and disappears in a rustling cloak.

Harry Potter turns slowly under his covers without waking up, his little hand closing on the letter placed near him and he continues to sleep without knowing that he is an exceptional being, without knowing that he is already famous, without knowing that in a few hours he would be woken up by his beloved aunt opening the front door of her house to take it and that for years he would be neglected by Mr. Dursley ...

He did not know any more that at this very moment people had gathered in secret all over the country and that they raised their glass, murmuring:  
"To the health of Harry Potter, the survivor!"


	6. One day we win...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two months after Dumbledore is left Harry with his aunt, the protectors meet to discuss some important events and good news has passed since
> 
> This chapter is largely in POV of the characters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The rest of the story from now on takes place between the first and the second chapter of the first volume of the saga and will mainly talk about Athena since she is the main character in my story even if Harry remains the survivor and the chosen one

**Beginning of January,**   
**Two months after Harry was left at Petunia,**   
**McGonagall Manor secret location...**

The Protectors, although in a hurry to meet again, had waited two months after Halloween before setting up a new meeting. Although it might seem long, especially to children, it was a necessity for the group to remain safe and secret especially with Dumbledore who, now that Harry was at Privet Drive, was already leaning on other planes just as unpleasant as those he had accomplished in the past.

As soon as the group was complete in the secure Minerva McGonagall mansion, the children ran towards each others screaming in joy, delighted to see their friends and family members again to play with them while listening to the conversations of adults who never left them aside. According to adults, regardless of the age of the children, it was better to put them in guard from the start that too late and see them fall into bad shenanigans of Dumbledore, as three of the Weasley children had already done.

This meeting served mainly to take stock of the events that have occurred since the fall of Voldemort and also to put in place new plans for the coming years.

The Protectors quickly realized that despite several victory and significant success of some of the plans they had accomplished, there was unfortunately a setback less golden medal.

Despite the fact that Albus Dumbledore was completely ignorant of their secret group, the man had managed to set does certain things that none of them could have foreseen. In the end it had cast a dark shadow over their happiness. Although that didn't stop them from acknowledging their victories.

**Victory of Minerva POV**   
_After my performance the night Harry was left at Petunia, I was able to keep, without question Dumbledore's trust by remaining his supposed ally in the Order of the Phoenix and keeping my job Assistant Director, Professor and House Director at Hogwarts. This might not seem important, but it made it easier for me to be kept up to date on Albus' shenanigans and to keep an eye on the kids currently in school while being able to stay there for students for years to come, especially the offspring of other Protectors._

**Victory of Andromeda POV**   
_My daughter, Nymphadora, and I were able to leave the Order of the Phoenix without problem when I informed Dumbledore that I now want, after Voldemort's defeat, to remain neutral in the future in order to better manage the repair of my family relationship with my little sister, Cissy._

_Given that Dumbledore was only interested in me because of my relationship with Bellatrix, he let me go without any problem with Nymphadora. Others members of the Order also understood my decision._

_As for Narcissa and I reunite, now publicly, this had been made possible soon after Voldemort's fall, when Lucius Malfoy, my sister's ex-husband was arrested for being a disciple of Voldemort._

**Victory of Narcissa POV**   
_As Andromeda mentioned, my ex-husband had been recognized as a disciple of Voldemort. Thanks to his connections to the ministry, he succeeds in avoiding prison. I see an opportunity when, shortly after his release, the newspapers began to speak ill of the reputation of my supposed husband. I managed to convince Lucius that to remove suspicion from him, I should get back in touch with my banished sister. Especially now that Andromeda had divorced the Muggle-born. I also mentioned to him also that he would well_ _in view of the public, that Draco gets to know his half-blood cousin. Lucius reluctantly accepted, allowing Andromeda and I to reunite with our children without risk of revealing the Protectors._

**Victory of Severus POV**   
_In my case, I succeed in a stroke of genius, by making to convince Dumbledore to testify in my favor. This prevented me, like Lucius, from ending up in prison and also allowed me to keep my job as professor and even head of house at Hogwarts._

**Victory of Lily POV**   
_Obviously I was fortunately still very much alive thanks to the actions of the Protectors. Unlike James Potter, my ex-husband and Harry's biological father._

_After several research on the fate of the links of the blood, in order to save Harry from Voldemort, the Protectors had unexpectedly discovered, but welcome, a way to save my son while avoiding having to sacrifice myself as Dumbledore had planned. It took a magical ritual to combine with Muggle blood transfusion medicine to achieve this feat._

_Severus put on another Voldemort disciple_   
_under a hypnosis-like spell before he take part in the ritual and take, thanks to a potion, my appearance to simulate my death and fool Dumbledore._

_Now, even if it was Petunia who raised Harry, I could still see and be in my son's life and even take care of him from time to time. That way, when Harry was older, he and the other Protector children would know the truth about what had happened_   
_when Voldemort disappeared on Halloween night._

**Victory of Petunia POV**   
_I almost couldn't be happier when not only Harry, but also my little Dudley had their first accidental magic. Harry had avoided toys in the living room while Dudley had made the kitchen cookie jar land, seconds after Harry's feat, in his chubby little hands._

_Vernon, having witnessed the two events_   
_almost simultaneous, had left my life and that of the boys faster than a cheetah on the hunt. Formally divorcing and leaving me signed waiver papers to his parental rights over Dudley._

_Dumbledore had been boiling with anger when he learned of this situation, which was hurting his plan for Harry to be neglected and mistreated so that he could appear to my nephew, when he entered Hogwarts, as his savior. But that was definitely compromised now that Vernon was gone and the spells of Dumbledore without him knowing how, were more active on Dudley and I. Allowing me to love boys despite their magic and my son to be a wizard._

_Luckily for the Protectors, when Dumbledore decided to find out what had broken his spells on Dudley and me, he asked for help from Severus who was his black magic expert._

_Severus then succeeds in convince the director that the spells that blocked the Dudley's_ _magic was no longer strong, given that he had been in constant contact with Harry for two months, namely another magic child. The hate spells on Dudley had broken because it was impossible for a magical being to hate magic._

_Severus also explained to Dumbledore that in my case, the very concept of maternal love, like what the director had wanted to use with the Potters on Halloween was the cause of the hate spells shattered me. When Dudley turned out to be a wizard, my love for my son had been strong enough to remove the spells that would have made me hate part of my child._

_Dumbledore was quickly reassured by Severus' explanations and thought, wrongly, that he could manipulate Harry when he entered Hogwarts at eleven._

**Victory of Molly POV**   
_As for me, I managed to divorce officially_   
_from Arthur. As our marriage was no longer necessary in the eyes of Dumbledore, the man did not even pay attention to our separation, except to ensure, with his ministerial relations, that Arthur obtained custody of Ronald who, he thought, was essential to his plans. He also made sure that William and Percy stayed with their father._

_Fortunately for me, my ex-husband willingly left me to take care of Charlie, the twins and Ginevra, whom he still didn't even know was his daughter._

_And since Andromeda and I have always been good friends, this one offered me the perfect excuse to see my wife, Narcissa Black-Prewett, and for Draco to spend time with his young stepsister and three older brothers-in-law._

**Victory of Lovegood POV**   
_As for us, we have a girl sometime after Molly and Narcissa welcome Ginevra around the world and the two girls seemed already_ _be good friends._

**Victory of Parkinson POV**   
_The last good event for the Protectors, was that my ex-husband did not have the chance of Lucius and Severus. He was recognized publicly as a disciple of Voldemort and sent directly to prison. I obtain an official divorce, as well as the assets and property of the man in addition to the full custody of my daughter Pansy._

**End of POV**  
But despite all these wonderful events, they did not overshadow the failures that Dumbledore had put on the Protectors without even knowing their existence ...


	7. ... one day we lose

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Protectors' meeting continues except it's time to talk about their group's failures
> 
> This chapter is still mainly in POV of the characters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A smaller chapter, but I hope you enjoy it anyway

The Protectors had suffered, during the two months following Voldemort's fall, defeats, some of which were simply disappointing, but others were like a stab in the heart.

**Failures of Bellatrix POV**   
_Because of his many contacts, Dumbledore had been informed of the birth of Athena, although he did not in fact know my child's name. But the knowledge I had had a child pissed off the headmaster who was afraid my daughter would rob him of the control he had over Hogwarts._

_So with the help of certain members of the Order of the Phoenix being loyal to him such as Anthur Weasley, Dumbledore had unfortunately kidnapped my little Athena and made her disappear without any of the Protectors being able to intervene. And now, almost two months after that, none of us had been able to find out where Dumbledore had taken the Hogwarts heiress._

_The only good thing was that Dumbledore had been in such a hurry to get rid of Athena that he hadn't even bothered to cast spells to block her magic, to prevent my daughter from regaining her rights in the magic school or even to try to find out who the father was from Athena._

_Dumbledore assumed wrongly anyway that my child's father must obviously be an unimportant Voldemort disciple._

_Minerva was, as godmother of Athena, just as upset and furious as I and the cousin clan veela de Athena, who had been informed of the situation concerning Charles Aqua's daughter, was in unparalleled anger._

_In addition to this tragedy, I had barely had time to try to find my baby before I found myself in prison, being tried without trial as a disciple of the Dark Lord for a crime_ _thatI hadn't even committed. Fortunately for me, Severus had time before I was taken to prison to cast spells on me to keep my sanity intact despite the horrible wizard prison guard. And as I was part of the pureblood elite I was allowed to receive letters, although these had to be examined before I was allowed to read them._

_Of course, the fact that the mail was inspected was not a problem for the Protectors who had long create a secret code allowing us to communicate with each other without any of our members being discovered._

**Failures of Black sister POV**   
_It was the young Nymphadora and Draco with us (Narcissa and Andromeda), as well as strangely Petunia, who were most affected by the disappearance of Athena and the arrest of Bellatrix. Besides of course Minerva. Obviously the other Protectors and their children were also upset by her two events and each of them swore to do everything to find Athena and make her, like all the other children in the group, aware of Dumbledore's actions and the inheritance of our niece on Hogwarts._

**Failures of Lily POV**   
_What was far less tragic than the kidnapping of Athena and the arrest of Bella, but all just as sad was the fact that even if I had managed to live and I could see Harry growing up and being in his life as well as 'being with my husband and great love, that is to say Severus Snape, I still let my sister raise my son at my place._

_Besides I had to live with glamor spells_   
_modifying my appearance with regard to all except Protectors and their children. And to avoid the ministry, but especially Dumbledore, discovering that I was not clod, I had to limit the use of my magic to basic spells like a third year Hogwarts student._

**Failures of Molly POV**   
_For my part, although conscious from the start, of not being able to save three of my sons from the grip of Dumbledore and Arthur, I was still disappointed that I couldn't do anything against the two manipulative men before it was too late._

**Failures of Longbottom, POV of Minerva**   
_A tragic event that the Protectors suffered was the cause of Bellatrix's unjust arrest. Rabastan Lestrange, brother of Bellatrix's late husband, had after Halloween track down the Longbottoms when he discovered that Frank was responsible for Rodulplus' death. It was while trying to arrest him that Bellatrix had been captured alongside his ex-brother-in-law and tried as a disciple of the Lord of Darkness._

_Unfortunately, even if Bellatrix had arrived on time to save young Neville, she could not have done anything to save Frank and Alice a fate worse than death._

_Rabastant did not kill the Longbottoms, instead he killed them tortured to the point that the couple was sent to the wizard hospital for an indefinite period. Frank and Alice were in a sort of vegetative state, leaving their practically orphaned son Neville in the care of his paternal grandmother._

_The old lady becomes a protector after that, annoying that former house manager of Alice and Frank, had spoken to she about our group and the actions of Dumbledore._

**Failures of Sirius, Sinistra POV**   
_And to finish creating unhappy events_   
_among the Protectors, Minerva's intuition the day after Halloween, when she had seen Hagrid with Sirius's motorcycle, was tragically justified._

_Sirius Black had indeed committed a worthy action from the Hogwarts house where he had been assigned as a student at the time. That is to say, he had done something heroically reckless and stupidly thoughtless._

_Sirius decided to go in a different direction from the Protectors' plans. His act on Halloween evening had the tragic effect of sending him, like his cousin, without a trial in prison. Fortunately, Severus had also been able to put protective spells on the Black man just like those done on Bellatrix._

_I was devastated by this situation, I who had fallen in love with Sirius I saw myself take away my love before I even had the chance to show him the extent of my feelings. And I didn't know when I would have the chance to do so since it was impossible for the Protectors to free one or the other Black from the prison without revealing the existence of our group._

**End of POV**  
In short, in summary of this meeting, the Protectors came to the indisputable conclusion that since the evening of Halloween having led to the fall of Voldemort, their group had both gained a lot but they had also lost a great deal.


	8. The orphanage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Flashback on the day of the kidnapping of Athena and her first years after Dumbledore got rid of her as well as a glimpse of important new characters for her

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long chapter I hope you like it feel free to comment
> 
> Other OC in this chapter
> 
> Italic is for a flashback, a souvenir or anything else that relates to that

_**November, 1981, after the defeat of Voldemort ...** _

_Albus Dumbledore was eager to get rid of the package he had acquired an hour ago and which is currently nestled in his arms._

_The package in question was a small child of almost a year wrapped in a powder blue woolen blanket. The Headmaster of Hogwarts had succeeded, with some of his allies, in removing the girl from_   
_Bellatrix Black, and although the prophecy of the heir does not should not be able to occur, the child being surely the fruit of death eaters according to him, he would not take any risk on the fact of losing the control on the school of magic or worse to harm his shenanigans._

_The man decided that the safest way to prevent the child from ending up at Hogwarts and discovered a one day her possible legacy was to abandon her in another country, so she would not only be far from those who knew of her existence, but on top of that she would go into a_   
_another school of magic if ever she was a witch like her parents._

_Dumbledore therefore went to America, in a small village lost in the depths of Alaskan forests. Unlike when he got rid of_   
_the daughter of Severus and Lily, this time he had not bothered to look for a family for the child of the oldest of the Blacks, he just found a simple orphanage._

_When the old wizard found the establishment he was looking for, he waited until nightfall in order to leave the toddler on the doorstep and leave without being seen, abandoning the child he had shamefully kidnapped._

_As it was the middle of November, a strong wind freezing was blowing that night and the little girl was lucky that only a few moments after Dumbledore had disappeared like a coward, that one of the young employees of the orphanage had wanted to make sure that the falling snow would not block the entrance to the establishment in the morning, and she had decided to open the doors, thus finding the package drop on the threshold._

_Nova Rose was a young woman of twenty-one, with red hair, soft brown eyes and an always optimistic attitude, and although a little naive, the children of the orphanage adored she. Even if she hadn't yet was authorized by the director, Astrid Blue, a severe-looking forty-year-old woman with dark brown hair and dark blue eyes, to be in charge of one of the children personally._

_The director's decision on this was largely due to the fact that Nova was awkward and therefore prone to accidents._

_But after the young woman is discovered the little girl, whose first name Athena was sewn inside the woolen blanket in which she had been abandoned, something that luckily Dumbledore had not noticed, the director of the orphanage agreed to give Nova a chance and Nova becomes responsible for the dark haired toddler with incredibly purple eyes._

_The child had seemed to feel that the woman who had brought her to the shelter of the November cold was a good person and she had already become a little attached to the redhead, huddling against the heat of her news responsible, slowly falling asleep despite her misfortunes ..._

**Dickens orphanage, small village of Nome in Alaska, November 26, 1982 ...**

The Sun was not even rising yet Nova Rose was running around the orphanage energetically, fun and annoying some of her colleagues. Today was the date when little Athena had been abandoned at their home and put under the responsibility of the frantic redhead.

As wanted by the tradition of the orphanage instituted by the director Astrid, when a child was left to them without birth certificate or any other information about him, his date of arrival in the establishment became by default the date of child's birthday, and was first checked by the local nurse to give an approximate age if he was too young to tell himself.

As a result, Nova was determined to make the second anniversary of her load, and especially her first with her at the orphanage, a perfect event.

To do this, Nova had the help of the majority of its colleagues since, in just one year, Athena had succeeded in winning over almost all the women in charge of the orphanage. The toddler was not only adorable and cute she was also a calm and sweet child who did not like to see other upset. On top of that she was a fast learner and very intelligent for her age.

Even the slightly older children were, for  
most, infatuated with her and they were happy to help Nova make this happy day for the Athena.

Two of the slightly older children of the orphanage in particular, with whom Athena had bonded some time after her arrival, was delighted to occupy and entertain the little girl during the preparations for the party.

Belle, a five year old girl with dark brown hair and light blue eyes was a book worm who loved reading and was far more advanced than the majority of children her age in this area.

A few weeks after Athena was left at the orphanage, the toddler had quietly crawled towards Belle while the latter was reading a book of Berenstain cubs in the corner of the playroom. Athena had then tapped the book and smiled at Belle, it took a little while, but the older woman realized that the toddler wanted her to read to her, which she did with joy.

Over the past year, a friendship had been born between the five-year-old girl reading books and learning to read gently at Athena and the toddler who listened attentively to the other little girl.

David meanwhile was a seven year old boy sporty with dirty blonde hair and gray eyes. He had helped Nova to calm Athena the second week of her arrival at the orphanage.

Nova had brought Athena to the yard to make her get some fresh air at the same time as the other children, but the little girl was falling in the snow and had accidentally been cut slightly in the hand, due to a piece of ice.

Nova had found it difficult to calm Athena, who seemed uncomfortable at the sight of the blood even if it was in very small quantity. But David who was playing ball with other boys nearby had come to Nova's aid, not wanting the nice young woman to lose her very first load. He had distracted Athena with funny faces and ball tricks while Nova had looked after the child's hand.

Since then, whenever Athena was upset or angry, she seemed to seek the attention of David who gave it to her with pleasure.

Athena's first birthday at the orphanage was a success, and the little girl had fun with her new friends and those in charge of the establishment. She ends up going to bed that evening completely exhausted from a day filled with pleasure, even if falling asleep her mind could not help seeing the image of a group of people fuzzy telling she that they missed she and that they were going to find her.

**Victorian style house, Upper East Side, New York, April 7, 1983 ...**

Belle, who recently became Belle Teacup, was writing a letter for her friends David and Athena, as well as for Miss Nova and the other female employees of the Dickens orphanage. That it was now two years since the six-year-old girl was adopted by a couple from New York and became the little sister of their nine-year-old son.

Robert and Emily Teacup was a happy couple who had always wanting several children, unfortunately for them Emily's first pregnancy was not without complications and at the birth of their son, Cassidy Teacup, Emily had managed to survive only thanks to the great skill of the New York medical team . But the doctors warned the couple that Emily could never bear another child to term, and that if by some miracle it still happened, the woman would leave it there probably life. Robert and Emily were devastated by it, but they rejoiced in their precious Cassidy and did not think of any other child, possible or not.

At least, they didn't think about it until an eight-year-old Cassidy asked Santa Claus for a little sister. Robert and Emily had several discussions which conducive to want adopted a girl, and after having passed the necessary evaluations, they looked in the cards of the orphans  
American the child that would suit them best.

When the couple fell on Belle's page, they immediately knew that she should become their daughter. Not only the appearance of Belle was the Teacup family, brown hair like the three Teacups and blue eyes similar to Emily. But in addition the card indicated that the little one a calm little girl adored reading, like Emily.

Belle was happy in her new home with her  
new family, although the hectic pace of New York was a bit overwhelming compared to calm of Nome. When Belle had been authorized by her new parents to write a letter to her former ophelinate, she was quick to let her friends know that she was fine, but that in addition she had an antique dad who loved history , a mom who owned a bookstore and loved books as much as she did, and she also had an older brother who reminded her of her friend David ...

**Slyle Manor House, Port Angeles, Clallam County, Washington, June 24, 1983 ...**

A family sat at breakfast preparing for two weeks of summer vacation. The two parents dividing the organization of the trip while two young boys chatted with excitement. One of these boys was David, now David Swills, since his adoption a week earlier.

David had been happy that shortly after his eighth birthday, a couple from Washington decided to adopt him, it was for him the best of gifts he might have hoped to receive one day.

Emma and Lana Swills were a lesbian couple who had known each other since college and fell slowly in love through quarrels used to camouflage their romantic feeling towards each other, until they finally confessed their love. The two women were the perfect example of the Lady and Tramp couple.

Lana Heart came from a wealthy family, her mother being a renowned cardiologist and her father a stable owner containing only thoroughbreds. Lana's older sister, Becky, had opened her own midwifery practice and was very successful. Lana was after years of marketing and institute degrees renowned culinary, now the leader of her own culinary empire recognized throughout the United States and headquartered in Port Angeles.

Emma Swills in her case had grown up in financial difficulties, an only child whose father was a simple worker of an animal feed factory and mother lead taught young people in difficulty and disadvantaged of the poor districts of the city. Emma had grown up wanting to repair injustice and therefore, after her studies, she was to join the United States Marine Corps, climbing rapidly the levels. So that towards the end of her service, she had been recruited by the NCIS in Washington. And now, after a few years of proving herself, she was an important part of her team.

When Lana's business took off and Emma  
had settled into NCIS, the couple had decided to start a family and Emma had become pregnant thanks to the fecondation in vitro process of an anonymous donor, thus giving birth to their son, Daniel, a few months later.

The two women, although wanting more than one child, had decided at that time to wait Daniel be older before trying to bring a new member to their family. When Daniel celebrated his ninth birthday, they discussed with him the possibility of him becoming a big brother. Daniel had a little frown at the idea, worrying his mothers that maybe he would rather stay the only child. But the boy told them it was okay as long as he got a little brother, not a boring sister.

Emma and Lana discussed the fact that a pregnancy, whether biological or invro, could never predict the gender of the unborn child. It was Emma's mother, returning from a class with young children from poor neighborhoods, who suggested adoption, because in addition to ensuring Daniel a brother, the two women could take an older child who would be less bother with their sometimes busy work schedules.

So that's how David found himself adopted by two loving moms and gained an older brother now eleven years old.

**Dickens Orphanage, Nome Village, Alaska, November 26, 1983 ...**

Athena bounced gently behind Nova, a big smile on her face, she had a day of third birthdays funny, despite the absence of Belle and David. Her two friends, even far from Alaska, had not forgotten she and with using their new families, they both sent happy birthday cards and gifts to the little girl.

David had sent a very nice powder blue backpack so that Athena could continue to carry her baby blanket with her without people teasing her for it. Belle had unsurprisingly sent her a book, one of the author's name of the orphanage, it was Charles Dickens' novel Oliver Twist. Athena was anxious to read it.

That evening, once Nova had finished tucking her in, Athena huddled in her blanket with her new novel immersing herself in the adventures of Oliver, from her childhood in unpleasant establishments, passing by her time as thieves in the streets to finally discover his family loving thanks to the help of his friends. Athena fell asleep gently and began to dream of a beautiful woman with dark hair and dark eyes whispering to she that she loved she dearly ...

**Dickens Orphanage, village of Nome, Alaska, January 6, 1984 ...**

The day Nova both hoped and feared had finally arrived, a week earlier the Director, Astrid Blue, had informed her employee that Athena had been chosen for adoption by Sheriff Peter Neveran of Nenana, another city in Alaska, and his wife, Fiona Neveran, the city's lawyer. If Nova was happy that the girl is finally a family, she was also very sad to see her go, which was not the case for Astrid.

The director of the establishment did not hate Athena, no, it was rather the fact that inexplicable events, and often costly in repair and cleaning, often occurred when the girl was upset. And although she doubted that the child is really to have with it, the other older children, as well as some of the orphanage officials, swore that Athena's already specially purple eyes had become almost electric purple by the time these incidents occurred.

One such incident was when, after a downpour, older boys threw mud at younger ones, whose was part of Athena. A few hours later, the room in which the little tyrants slept was inexplicably transformed into a swamp. Another amazing event was the day the orphanage ran out of dessert and the lake behind the orphanage had suddenly been filled with blue raspberry jello instead of the water in which the children had it used to play.

Nova she didn't care about these little problems, all she knew was that today she had to say goodbye to her little Athena. She had tears in her eyes as the car containing Peter and Fiona Neveran was driving away from the orphanage, with on the back seat the little girl who captured her heart and that it was her, as well as the rest from the Dickens orphanage, big waves of the hand, going towards its new life as an adopted child ...


	9. The rules to follow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Years have passed and Athena remembers her first day with her adopted family and the rules she was told to always follow. This chapter and the next ones contain flashbacks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains child neglect, there will be a warning before the paragraph

**Backyard of a modern house, Nenana, Alaska, November 26, 1987 ...**

Today was the seventh anniversary of  
Athena Twist, the girl now had her dark night hair down to her shoulder length, her skin still fair due to the Alaskan climate and lightly sprinkled with freckles on her adorably curled little nose and her still eyes a dazzling purple.

In addition to her charismatic appearance inherit, without let her know, of all the Black women, Athena had grown extremely quick-witted for her age. Fortunately she remained modest and  
it made her personality just as sweet and adorable as her physique.

What was less adorable than Athena, on the other hand, was the lifestyle that had, for four years now endure the girl...

Athena was adopted from the Dickens Orphanage in Nome, Alaska at the age of three years by the Neveran couple from Nenana.

Peter Neveran is found to be a man in his thirties with brown hair cropped like a soldier, the man sports a beard of a few days permanently and his cold gray eyes make him look unapproachable, which happens to be very useful in his work. Mr. Neveran has been the Sheriff of his small town of Nenana for ten years and everyone respects him or even fears him.

His wife Fiona Neveran, also in her thirties with long dark brown hair, an hourglass figure and hazel eyes all over the place  
as cold as those of her husband. She has always been an attractive woman who usually gets what she wants, which has led her to become the town's senior lawyer.

The Neverans are, so to speak, the power of Nenana, and everyone in town had long thought they were perfect people who had the good heart to adopt a poor orphan ... onlyt they knew ...

Athena had realized quickly, to be precise as soon as she arrived at the Neverans, that Peter and Fiona were not as incredible as they let the inhabitants of Nenana believe. The couple didn't really want a child, they wanted a free slave. Someone old enough to follow their orders, but young enough not to rebel.

On this day of her birthday, Athena sadly thinks back to the moment when, after arriving at the Neveran's house for the first time, they had dragged her to their kitchen to explain the rules to her if she wanted to not get into trouble.

🛑 Slight mention of negligence and abuse in the next paragraphs.

**Flashback:**

**Neveran Kitchen, Nenana, Alaska, January 10 1984 ...**

Athena was standing in the middle of the room, holding firmly against her little three-year-old body her new bag David gave which contained her baby blanket and her Oliver Twist book that Belle had sent her as gifts.

Peter and Fiona stood before her looking serious and rather intimidating.

They had informed the child, a few moments before entering the house, that they were going to dictate to she the rules that she had better follow and that she should not complain about them.  
"Ok, girl, listen carefully, we're not going to repeat ourselves," Peter growls. "First rule, you call us Mr and Mrs at all times, except when we are outside or that we receive a visit, then you are allowed to call us mother and father, understood? "

Athena nodded nervously, she was already suspicious of the Neverans when she had met them in the orphanage director's office, and this rule had just confirmed that her instinct was not deceiving her about these people.

 _(And this is only the first rule, what will follow ...?)_ She thinks anxious.

Fiona spoke after her husband.  
"Second, you are in charge of making our meals, cleaning the house, gardening and all that is housework." She informs. "We will leave you lists of tasks in the morning before going to our jobs, these will have to be done and our supper waiting on the table when we come back at the end of the day, as you should to know how to read for that, you are allowed, when you have finished what you have to do to read what is here, as well as to keep this book in your bag. "

 _(Like Cinderella, but at least I can read and_  
 _he leaves me Belle's present.)_ Athena comforts herself.

But that's when Peter informs her of one of the worst rules.  
"Now, let it be clear, you make OUR meals, you will be allowed to have three meals a week, no question of wasting our money on a brat, you living here aim to avoid us having to pay for the hand work, you will eat Monday, Wednesday and Friday, if you have worked well you will be entitled to our leftover tables otherwise you will be content with garbage, and don't even think about snacking while we are at work, there are cameras in the house to watch you and we will check the reserves when we get back. "

 _(Oh my god, what took Blue to let them adopt me, these people are awful!)_ Athena is now scared.

And it was not over.  
"We will provide you with three outfits,"  
Continue Fiona. "Clothes for the day to do your chores, pajamas so you don't sleep in the dirt and get so sick that you have to go to the hospital, there would be questions if that happened, and an outfit that you will wear in public or if we have visitors, we will renew them once a year, because of your size changes. "

 _(Dirty clothes won't make me anymore_  
 _I'm sick than starving me, but I guess there's no point in pointing it out, or I'll lose the right to have pajamas.)_ Athena refrains from replying.

Peter grabs her by the top of the arm and leads her past the back kitchen door, straight into the heavily fenced backyard. He shows her this which appears to be a doghouse for a dog the size of a Saint Bernard.

 _(Um, I guess taking care of the dog is going to be part of the task, but I haven't seen anything that shows they have a pet ... unless he treats him the way they intend to treat me. ..)_  
"This is where you stay," Peter mentions cutting off Athena's thoughts, "When you get up you walk in do your task and as soon as you have finished you return to your doghouse, you can keep your blanket that you have in your bag, that makes us  
one less thing to get yourself, there will be an alarm clock to get up on time to make us breakfast on time and a flashlight to avoid tripping and making fishy noises when you have to go inside while it's still dark, and now ... "

He turns to Athena with almost crazy eyes,  
his teeth clenched firmly.  
"...The most important rule!" He growls, shaking her gently. "You NEVER talk about how you live here or there will be serious consequences, and you won't like it ...!"

🛑End of neglect for this chapter.

**Return to the present:**

**November 26, 1987, Athena's doghouse ...**

Night had now fallen, and Athena was shedding silent tears gently landing  
on the cover of her beloved book. She  
tightly tightens her baby blanket, which had never deteriorated strangely, around her shoulders.

Looking at the night sky beyond the hole serving as an entrance to her doghouse, her gaze is fixed as almost always on the constellation Orion, and she begins to whisper, a sob in her voice:  
"Happy birthday, Athena, happy birthday Athena, happy birthday to me..."

The girl go to bed gently on the worn dog bed and room that serves as her bed, and falls asleep exhausted from another day of tasks, unaware that...

**In a prison in the middle of the sea, guarded by demons...**

A desperate mother whispered this same sentence, joined by her cousin to some cells of her.


	10. Be smart, but don't show it

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As summer vacation approaches, Athena recalls her school education and receives a flashback of her five years

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains abuse and rape of a minor, there will be a warning before the paragraph mentioning

**Backyard of Neveran House, Nenana, Alaska, June 21 1988 ...**

Summer had officially arrived, and despite the fact to be in Alaska, the heatwave that took place this year there spared no one, especially the seven year old girl doing chores landscaped under the scorching sun.

Athena was exhausted from her morning full of chores, and since it was Tuesday, she knew she wouldn't have anything to eat before the next day, which made her even weaker. In the distance she could hear the laughter of the other children in the neighborhood who were discussing with joy the coming summer vacation.

Athena took a break from tending to Fiona Neveran's flowers. She raises her purple eyes to the clear sky and breaths melancholy as she thinks back to the moment when, unlike children having fun in the distance, she dreamed of staying in a school.

**Narration before flashback ...**

From her adoption to her five years, Athena's life had obviously not been a joy, but the fact that she was able to escape into the books had kept her a gentle and relatively hopeful child.

Just as some of the odd things that happened during her worst times had made her believe that one day she could get away like Oliver Twist in her favorite novel.

Athena could clearly recall some of those special moments with nostalgia. There had been the time when, on a particularly stormy night violent which had shaken its kennel on all sides, a kind of small bluish fire appeared suddenly, coming out of nowhere, warming and reassuring the little girl without burning anything around her ... when she woke up next morning, the fire had disappeared just like the storm.

There had also been the time the Neverans had informed her in her morning to-do list that they were going to have a couple of friends and that Athena had to have a tray of tea ready in the living room when they arrived. Lost in all her stains she had almost forgotten and had  
prepared the tray at the last second. In  
her haste to bring it to the salon on time,  
she had tripped and the tea tray had flung itself out of her tiny hands, only seconds from shattering on Fiona's perfectly white carpet when… he had levitated alone in the air.

Lucky for the girl, neither of her events, or any such, had never happened in front of Peter and Fiona. Which was certainly the best thing possible in Athena's life.

_**Neveran residence, Nenana, Alaska, September 24, 1986 ...** _

_Almost a year after turning five, Athena was admitted to the village public primary school. As Fiona and Peter couldn't help but escape all education for their adopted 'daughter' without arousing some suspicion, they reluctantly agreed to send the girl to school._

_A few weeks before the first day of school, the couple decided that they needed to provide Athena with a last name to keep up appearances. As Blue had not asked them to write this down when adoption, and that the Neverans had never taken the child to a doctor or any place that would need a full identity, the couple hardly bothered to provide the girl with a name of family._

_In fact Athena suspected that if she didn't already have a first name thanks to her baby blanket and Nova, they would have just called her the monster as they liked to do on a regular basis._

_As the Neverans didn't care about the child, Athena was fortunate enough to be able to choose her new last name herself as long as it wasn't theirs, they didn't want to be associated with her more than they already were._

_So as not to have any problems with the school during the delivery of the document and to avoid questions about divergent family names, the Neverans had mentioned that the orphanage had given this last name to Athena and that, in case of lost members of her biological family would like it found, they had decided to give she this name for their convenience, not wanting to deprive the girl of this possible opportunity._

_Athena chooses with pleasure, and unparalleled evidence, to take the family name Twist, like Oliver the protagonist of her favorite book. She did so with the hope that like him, she would one day find a loving family and friends who would save her from the Neverans._

_For now she would happily take the fact that she could escape her slavery for even a few hours five days every week thanks to school._

**_Neveran lounge, Nenana, Alaska, November 4, 1986 ..._ **

_Unfortunately, this joy and this moment of freedom barrel of very short duration._

_Barely a month had passed since the start of the school year, and Athena was at that moment standing in the middle of the Neveran living room with Peter, Fiona, her kindergarten teacher, the principal of the school and a man from the school board._

_The girl was holding back from shaking, knowing deep down of herself that she had committed a very serious mistake._

_Athena had always been brilliant for her age and she was both very observant and curious, in especially when it came to learning new knowledge. She had heard two teachers talk about different diplomas in the schoolyard during recess and thus learned of the existence of the TES (The High School Equivalence Test.)_

_Curious, she had taken the dinner hour for_   
_use one of the computers in the school library in order to learn more about it. After taking into account everything there was to know about this test, she thought to herself that she should try her luck - if she failed too bad, but if she succeeded it could allow her to find a job and to succeed money as soon as she was of legal age to be hired and thus leave far from the Neverans._

_After several days of preparations, studies and of practice, she had felt ready and had tried her luck. Athena had been delighted when, receiving the results, she realized that she had succeeded with flying colors._

_But it didn't last, because now, in the living room with all these people, she realized an important detail that she had not taken into account. The fact that the education system would be aware of her achievement and would obviously like to_   
_talk with her adoptive 'parents'._

_The educators were of course both surprised and above all impressed, Athena was after all, the youngest person in nearly fifty years of passing this test, and they were over only happy to announce it to Neveran, convinced that the couple would be ecstatic when they learned that they had a genius for daughter._

_Fiona and Peter had been chatting with the other three adults for almost an hour now, fake smiles on their faces, telling the others how happy they were and also amazed at this feat. That their darling daughter had surely wanted to surprise them by not telling them about her trying to take the test._

_They announced that they wanted from that moment remove Athena from public school in order to provide her with a private_ _tutor more suited to their needs. The other adults immediately nodded, ignorant that it was wrong and only a perfect excuse to put the girl back in constant slavery back home._

🛑 **Brutality / rape of minors warning!**

_As soon as the educators had left, after having congratulated once again Athena and the Neverans, Peter went into a mad rage._

_He grabbed Athena and started to kick her suddenly, putting the poor child in clobber, telling her that a child must NEVER be smarter than an adult and that if she wanted to be an adult so badly, he was going to do it help to become so._

_Peter then forces Athena to her knees, gripping her dark hair aggressively to lift her from the curled up state she is in after all of the man's blows._

_Peter asks Fiona to keep the child in_   
_this position and to put pressure on the sides of the jaw to open her mouth, even as he pulled down his pants and his underwear making wide with fear the purple eyes of the girl._

_The horrible man wasted no time and thrust his hard penis hard into Athena's mouth._

_The girl began to gag and choke, tears starting to flow from her eyes at the pain her throat was feeling and her helplessness over what was happening to her._

_Peter then begins to fuck the mouth of the five year old almost savagely under the lustful and excited gaze of his wife who was still holding Athena, preventing her from struggling._

_Peter was so turned on to see Fiona interested in the spectacle he offered her by violating the girl's mouth that he comes quickly throwing his load of cum all over Athena's face and body._

_The front woman let her husband go to the shower and dragged Athena by her hair to her kennel. She had left the little girl shaking, scared, hurt and unable to clean herself in the doghouse before turning on her heels and joining Peter in the shower._

🚫 **End of graphic warnings.**

**Neveran Kitchen, Nenana, Alaska, 21 June** **1988 ...**

Athena, who had returned to preparing dinner for the Neverans, held back tears at the horrible memory, remembering that this day had only been the beginning of her real worries.

After that fateful day, Peter and Fiona almost made it a point to use Athena's mouth on a regular basis for oral pleasure and this was not even close to being the worst memory of the little girl's childhood of seven years ...


	11. A failed youth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Summer vacation is about to begin and Athena recalls after another day of hard work her worst flashback

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains other abuse and rape of a minor, there will again be a warning before the paragraph mentioning, stay alert if you don't like this kind of thing

**Athena's doghouse, Nenana, Alaska, 24**   
**June 1988 ...**

The sun had set for hours, the stars now shine in the sky, and Athena Twist, was looking at the heavenly lights above her. The child is lay down on the floor, shaking from head to toe, holding back tears and hoping for a saving rain to cleanse her from the last usual treatments that Peter and Fiona had inflicted on her.

Closing her purple eyes almost biting her lips bleeding, an unpleasant memory of the moment this treatment began dates back to the surface without the girl being able to stop it.

**Neveran rear yard, Nenana, Alaska December 31, 1987...**

Athena had now reached the point where at the age of seven years old, she'd convinced herself that Peter and Fiona Neveran couldn't get more hideous and inhuman than they already were. How could they make her personal hell worse, it seemed to be impossible.

And despite all the mistreatment, both psychological, emotional and physical abuse, nothing had really succeeded in breaking Athena completely. The little girl kept the hope, certainly a little naive, that better days awaited her, because as the saying goes: after the rain the good weather, isn't it?

This was perhaps fueled by her readings often concerning orphans or unloved children who ended up finding loving families. Her favorite book remains, Oliver Twist, but that was to add to that the books of Mathilda, Bernard and Bianca as well as Anne the house of green gables.

Unfortunately to Athena's dismay, she  
realized, on New Years Eve tonight, her assumption that the Neverans couldn't be more horrible to her was wrong ... extremely wrong they could be worse ... much worse!

By mid-afternoon, Peter and Fiona had left for Peter's police station New Years party. They had left Athena to her chores and had a gleeful chat about the booze, dancing, and gifts that would be at the station as they left the house.

Now that it was almost eleven at night, Athena, who happens to be in the courtyard, preparing to go to bed in her doghouse can hear her foster 'parents' entering through the front door of the house. At the sound, the girl guesses that the couple are completely drunk from the alcohol offered at the party.

**🚫Mention abuse and rape in the next**   
**paragraph...**

This alcohol abuse on the part of the Neveran has just decided them that the use only of the mouth of Athena in order to fulfill their perverse desires was more sufficient, they wanted more ... much more, of the little girl, after all she had just turned seven only a few days ago.

Athena straightens up, as she was about to step into her doghouse, at the hearing of the back door opening and the sight of the figure stepping resolutely and intimidatingly straight towards her.

Fiona, in her tight black evening dress, chose to pick up the girl so that she and Peter could perfectly celebrate the coming of the new year. She grips Athena's pale arm, digging perfectly manicured dark purple painted fingernails into the delicate skin of the child who moans a bit at the bluntness, which was usually more of Peter's usual. The lawyer ignores her and easily drags her, due to Athena's unhealthily light weight, to the living room.

Once the woman and the little girl enter the room, Athena spots Peter who is clearly waiting impatient and excited, in the middle of the living room. The man had to remove the carpet and the coffee table for more space.

 _(Oh ... sure they want some oral fun to celebrate the new year ...)_ Think then Athena resigned to this treatment.

But suddenly, instead of just bringing her to her knees as usual, Peter quickly grabs Athena's seedy, oversized dress and then yanks it apart before pulling her panties off, leaving the little girl surprised and scared, totally naked in front of the smiling man unleash.

Before the little one could even begin to figure out what was going to happen to her, Fiona pushes her violently onto the black hardwood floor, before join her on the ground and turn her over on her back. Thus presenting the naked body of the girl, marked by abuse and domestic chores, to Peter who licks his lips in anticipation while offering a playful wink to his wife.

Peter wastes no more time, he wildly spreads Athena's legs, already leaving handprints on the pale thighs, then he undoes his pants and pulls down his boxers with one hand, releasing his erection. He then sinks abruptly into the vagina of the seven-year-old girl, breaking Athena's innocence. His powerful back stroke immediately spilling virgin blood on the ground, bringing the thought fleeting and confused by a haze of pain in the child's mind that this was the reason the rug had initially been removed, so as not to soil it.

Despite her years of practice on her emotions, Athena can't hold back her screams, whining and moans of pain at this precise moment, which seems to make Fiona sigh in annoyance.

So while her husband brutally rapes their  
Foster 'daughter' Fiona decides to silence the unbearable kid by pulling up her evening dress, pushing her black lace panties aside and pushing up Athena's face. The girl now forced to eat the lawyer’s already juicy pussy, if she is to be lucky enough for the lawyer to pull off and let her breathe again. 

It was something she was trained to accomplishing for two years after all, and strange as it seems, the distraction taking her mind away from the pain in her vagina was almost welcome.

**After several more winding minutes ...**

Fiona and Peter each succeed in reaching orgasm covering Athena with semen on her face and filling her overflowing pussy with sperm mixing with her blood.

The two adults get up satisfied, kiss deeply and go upstairs together after straightening their clothes and ordering Athena to clean everything and go to her kennel when finished. The couple decides to take a shower together and then go to bed wishing each other a happy new year.

Athena left alone curled up and bloody on the soiled wooden floor of the living room, bruised and weak, almost unable to do what the Neverans ordered she to do.

After that evening, this becomes Athena's new daily.

**🛑End of abuse and rape ...**

**Return to the present doghouse of Athena, Nenana, Alaska June 24, 1988 ...**

After this disastrous winters, Athena becomes more and more desperate for a miracle to happen. Kind of like Oliver from Charles Dickens' tale.

In a way, the wish she made while looking at the stars of the constellation Andromeda that evening, was slightly answered a few days later, at the start of the summer vacation ...


	12. The babysitter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's summer vacation 1988 and Athena is in the care of a friend of Peter and Fiona, unfortunately tragedy seems to follow the seven year old

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Male OC secondary death 
> 
> New OC

**Entrance hall of the Neveran house, Nenana Alaska, June 27, 1988 ...**

There was palpable energy in the Neverans right now, frantic movements all over the sheriff and attorney's home, suitcases littered the hall where Athena stood like a statue in silence, trying to hide her excitement so as not to not arouse the suspicions of her adoptive 'parents'.

Today was the day the little girl was waiting with impatience for a month, since Peter and Fiona had announced that they intended to treat themselves to a second honeymoon in the tropics. Obviously, they were not going not left Athena alone in their house, they were going to entrust her to Peter's childhood best friend, Felix Bealfire, a an old friend from primary school who became an employee of the Nenana animal refuge.

Athena had been extremely elated at the announcement, and she had to refrain from showing it to prevent Peter and  
Fiona know their 'friend' was way less horrible than they wanted to be with the girl.

Of course, the thin man in his twenties  
with shoulder-length light brown hair and light gray eyes with a tormented demeanor, was aware of the horrendous treatment inflicted on Athena.

Unfortunately, he was too scared of Peter and Fiona's influence in town to denounce the offending couple, but at least he was  
no case like his old friend and his wife.

In addition to being in no way violent and very far from being a pedophile, the man had a kind of almost brotherly sympathy and affection for Athena. It was an advantage for her whenever he kept her, but in general, it was only a weekend, this time he was going to take care of her for three full weeks!

As Felix was working far from the Neverans, he was about to come and pick up Athena to take his home in his little three and a half located in the city center of Nenana.

When the doorbell rings, Peter's voice, roaring from the master bedroom, echoes through the house.  
"Bitch! Open the door to Felix, and faster than that!" He orders.

Athena grabs her backpack and opens it to Felix. The man glances over the girl to make sure Peter and Fiona never saw him  
step, then smile reassuring to the child who was currently dressed in her only outerwear, a green dress and black patent shoes that the Neverans had bought for the rare times they were to be seen in public with their adopted 'daughter'.

Peter and Fiona come down the stairs and greet Felix warmly before pushing Athena, into the hands of their friend, then they  
take their luggage, say goodbye to Felix and leave to arrive at the airport on time.

Felix offers his hand to the little girl who takes it happily and they go quietly to the babysitter's home.

**Félix Bealfire living room, Nenana, Alaska, June 30, 1988...**

Athena had been in Felix's care for three days now, and the child would have believed in heaven. Although she knew it was only temporary, and that she would have to return to the Neveran in eighteen days when they returned from their trip, she couldn't help but savor this moment of respite from her personal hell.

Although Felix couldn't give she too much to eat, it would have aroused the Neverans' suspicions of whether she returned home in better shape than she was when they left. Athena was entitled to a meal by day instead of three a week, and these were real meals, not just leftovers.

Well, this was not what we could qualify as a healthy meal since Felix was fond of fast food, but this was actually a bonus for Athena, she finally had the chance to taste some things that the Neverans would not have never allowed. Delicacies such as pizza, burgers and ice cream, the latter a favorite of the little girl, especially in the form of a milkshake.

Besides her food her habitat was wonderful, as Felix had an apartment and not a house the Neverans could not comment on the child sleeping inside instead of a dog kennel, and contrary to what Peter and Fiona believed from what Felix had told them as a lie, the child was not sleeping on the floor but on the man's comfortable sofa.

In addition to being sheltered from bad weather, sleeping comfortably and eating better than she had done in her short existence, Athena was, so to speak, on vacation as well. The child had no household chores to do since the place that Felix occupies is so small that he happened to be cleaning less than an hour, as it was a community apartment, no gardening was required by the tenants. And since Felix enjoyed fast food and take out, Athena didn't have to cook.

In addition to that, Felix sometimes had to bring dogs from the shelter for a walk to expend their energy, and in these moments, the babysitter brought Athena with him.

In short the last three days of Athena was a little slice of paradise and the rest of the three weeks ahead seemed just as wonderful to her, but it was without knowing the tragedy that would occur on the Sunday she arrived at Felix's.

**Downtown Nenana Park, Alaska, July 3, 1988 ...**

The day had started pleasantly, we could tell that it was summer vacation, the children and teenagers were enjoying a morning grace on this Sunday. Some voluntarily ignoring the good weather and playing video games, others who wanted to enjoy the sun had fun by frolicking and running with their friends in the streets and going to enjoy the parks to play.

This Sunday was a sunny day although slightly cloudy. Felix and Athena had lazed out all morning, something impossible for the little girl when she was with the Neverans.

But, after a dinner of crispy fried chicken, fries and brownies, Felix decided to take Athena to the park to enjoy some fresh air. The man knew that although the child lived mainly outside, she rarely enjoyed the environment or a moment of calm.

Athena was therefore currently, sitting in silence on a bench in the park next to Felix, while the man was content to listen to the sound of the birds, the children playing around and the surrounding conversations, the girl was reading her book Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens.

The child was enjoying her beloved novel and the gentle summer breeze, under the eye vigilant of her babysitter.

**After almost three hours spent in the park ...**

Felix glances at the park's public clock.  
"Um ... it'll be supper time soon." He remarks, gently interrupting the reading of Athena. "You know what, you can keep reading your book here, I'm going to pick us up from McDonald's in the mall right outside the park, don't talk to anyone and stay there, I don't want to look for you, okay?"  
"Okay." Athena nods with a small nod before returning to her book.

Felix gently shakes his head, laughing at the child's enthusiasm for reading, gets up and quickly crosses the park towards the shopping center. He enters the building, after a last glance at Athena, thus disappearing from sight of the girl.

**Ten minutes later...**

Athena had just finished another chapter of her book, when she felt the need to go urinate, she had not gone to the bathroom since she and Felix left the apartment. The girl looks at the clock in the middle of the park, and notices that her babysitter hadn't been away for a very long time.

The girl knew that the public toilets in the park were not very far from the bench where she is currently sitting glancing around the mall, she began to think.

_(Ok, ten minutes, Felix must have just walked into the McDonald's, by the time he line up, order our meals, get both orders and come back here, I should have time to rush to the park restroom and head back at my bench ...)_

Athena gets up, puts her book in her bag, takes it and runs as fast as her fragile state of health, due to her way of life with the Neverans, she allowed.

Public booths were a bit when seen from her bench, but there was no way Felix would return to the park before at least thirty minutes. The girl quickly relieves her bladder and decides to run back to her bench.

**When a street show just started in the middle of the park draws its warning...**

The performers juggled on stilts, breathed fire and performed magic tricks, enchanting the walkers in the park, now counting Athena among them.

**A few moments later...**

One of the acrobats gracefully finishes one of his tricks and Athena suddenly realizes that she's been watching buskers for quite a while.

 _(oh no ... Felix is going to worry and I'm going to have so many problems ...)_ She thinks, her heart starting to beat the path as she rushes back to her bench.

Luckily for Athena, Felix doesn't appear to be in view and slowly she relaxes and begins to wait the man she considers to be a sort of big brother. Her precious book always tucked away in her backpack containing her little possession and which she never parted with when she was not with the Neveran.

Athena waits for Felix, saying he was due back soon, she waited, waited, then waited… thirty minutes, ten more, then twenty more.

Finally after almost two hours, Athena begins to worry about Felix. Of course if there were people in the restaurant it could have taken time, Felix could also have strolled a bit in a store if he had seen an item of interest to him ... but surely not to the point of leaving the girl unattended as long as!

The sky is slowly starting to darken, not just the usual darkness of an early evening, the clouds had started to turn into rain clouds.

Athena doesn't want to get wet and her worry for Felix starts to take hold, so she heads for the mall, suddenly stopping a few meters from the main entrance, flashing lights ... police and ambulance car lights.

She stands at a distance, gazing in horror at a body, having according to this that said a police official, received several stab wounds from a thief who was to escape, to be towed on a stretcher.

Athena recognizes Felix, even from afar! The man is pale and bloody.

_(No no no...!)_

Athena feels sick and almost passed out when she hears a heart monitor make a final tone and the paramedic announces the death of the only adult treating her properly.

Panicked, being unable to think about anything, scared of the police because of Peter Neveran being the town sheriff. Athena starts running down the street between the park and the mall, holding her backpack firmly containing her book and her baby blanket.

The sky above the child begins to get darker and darker, as evening has fallen, all businesses she passes by are closed. Athena runs faster, tears in her eyes clouding her sight, she runs away the fear which seizes her in the belly even as big drops of rain begin to fall on her.

It only takes a moment for Athena to get soaked to the bone, and she tries to take refuge under a bus shelter, in order to catch her breath. It's dark and cold now, only the street lights casts an orange light around it.

**Suddenly Athena hears deep and strong voices, followed loud bursts of laughter...**

A group of schoolchildren, clearly drunk, move towards the bus shelter under which the girl is standing. Some of them have bottles of alcohol in hand.

The group sings loudly a song that, in her distress, Athena recognizes as the one Peter Neveran sing when his football team wins a match.

Athena curls up trembling in her shelter as the drunken college kids come up to her.  
"Hey kid!" One of them exclaims when he sees she. "We won!"

Her friend watches Athena while taking a sip of the beer.  
"You seem to be cold, kid, do you want a sip to warm up?"

He hands the beer to Athena who shakes her head in terror.  
"A second." Another of the guys growls, frowning. "You're not from the opposing team, are you?"

He leans towards her, Athena begins to stutter.  
"I don't… be sure… don't… what are you… talking to you, Mr."  
"They tried to cheat!" Yells the guy swinging his bottle of beer which breaks at the little girl's feet.

Athena jumps in fear as the man reaches out to try to grab the child. She runs in the rain again, this time trying to escape the group of drunk and angry college students instead of running away from her despair.


	13. The glow will guide you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seven-year-old Athena finds herself alone and helpless after the sudden death of her babysitter, she must flee a problem that could be fatal to her and finds herself in an unknown place

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter without dialogue, they will come back to the next chapter

**Streets of downtown Nenana, Alaska, 3 July 1988...**

Chased by a group of drunk college kids, Athena running in a cold Alaskan rain, shivering fear, cold and grief at the death of Felix.

She can hear behind her the deep voices of men wanting to catch up with her.

She keeps running, closing her purple eyes  
muddled with rain and tears, her mind  
setting out frightening scenarios of what might happen to her if the guys catch up to her.

In her despair, thinking about her current situation, Felix's disappearance and her life with Peter and Fiona, her mind momentarily drifts to flasbacks from her childhood at the orphanage with Nova, Belle and David, and then he jumps to a soft, familiar but both unknown, telling her how she is loved.

While waiting for this voice, which she doesn't even know to be real or not, thinking that it could be an effect of her fear. She starts wishing for something she had stopped hoping for a long time ago.

Athena wishes to find herself finally safe, far from the danger that threatens her at all times, especially at this moment. She wants to be near someone, anyone, really wanting to protect her like Felix was trying to do, maybe even someone who could ... love her.

**It was just as the last thought entered her mind and that hope settled in her...**

That a strange event, more than any that has already taken place near her, occurs without the slightest warning.

Athena began to feel a kind of pull coming from behind her navel, as if a sinner had hooked her up with a hook and was trying to tow her with force.

Then she had the sensation of being swayed in what appeared to be a very narrow tube which kept swirling, as if she had thrown herself into a water slide.

Athena closes her eyes and grabs her precious backpack, holding back more tears, this time brought by the fear that surrounds her made her nauseous.

**But as quickly as this feeling had arisen...**

She stops, leaving Athena moaning in pain, uncomfortable and helpless. The girl falls hard on a rain-soaked grassy ground, her breath gasps and refrains from throwing up.

Athena realizes that the voice of the drunken men who were chasing her just a few seconds ago was now impossible to hear. Making the child understand that, as improbable as it may be, she was no longer in the streets of Nenana!

**Location unknown, still July 3, 1988...**

Athena takes a few deep breaths and grabs her backpack with a small, shaking hand. Her other hand and knees are resting with difficulty on the grassy ground, puddles, a little mud and, unfortunately, broken glass that was strewn there before the child's arrival.

Once standing, the poor girl lets herself cry again with pain, fear and sorrow for Felix. Clutching her backpack in her arms, she examines through her tear-and-rain-misted eyes her frail body completely soaked and bloodied.

She wishes at this moment to find herself anywhere protected from the cold rain,  
even her doghouse with the Neverans seems like a good idea at this point.

Once she calms down enough to stop the crying, she finally observes her surroundings, trying to find a shelter where she can avoid the downpour if possible and hopefully think about what she can do now that she can no longer has Felix, that she finds herself she does not know where and that the Neveran are no longer an option after running away.

She notices that she is standing in a grassy meadow with some flowers. The rain and the fact that it is late in the evening, almost at night, made it difficult to look into the distance, but she still managed to see several blurry lights to her right in the distance.

 _(Probably a village, I could find help there.)_ She thinks numb.

Unfortunately, it seems to be a long way, too far to get there in her current state. She turns her head and notices the lonely glow of a secluded abode behind her. Given the intensity of the lighting, the place seems closer to Athena's position than the village.

This glow smells, for the little girl, almost inviting, as if she had to go there absolutely. So she decides to head in that direction, hugging her backpack a little tighter against herself, trying to feel the comfort her baby blanket lies inside.

**After several minutes of painful walking...**

Athena approaches the light, enough to find herself around the building that emits it.

She realizes that she is not standing in front of a simple house like the Neveran's as she had expected, but instead, she sees a splendid mansion looming before her.

The girl initially determined to reach the light that called her like the song of a siren, now hesitates in front of the high golden gate leading to the estate.

She wondered now if she shouldn't have tried her luck instead towards the village where, at least if someone didn't want to help her initially, there was other abode to go to. Unlike this unique mansion.

On top of that, Athena had been conditioned by the Neverans to NEVER speak to strangers, especially adults. She had also learned from them that it was better not to trust others.

But her instinct had made she follow that glimmer that strangely called she towards this mansion, her instinct had never deceived she before and any strange phenomenon that had happened to she in her short life had actually helped she. Why would it be different now with her suddenly finding herself far from Nenana and near this mansion?

On top of all that, she was hurt, scared, overcome by the death of Felix, she was wet and cold, to add to that she is totally lost in this unknown place.

So she takes a small, shaky breath and cautiously walks through the gate, passing between the bars, being too small and fragile to even try to push the high door made of forged metal.

A little unstable due to her injuries, the rain, her emotional state and fatigue. Athena spawns gently a path in the dirt driveway lined with magnificent flowers. Herwounded and trembling knees leading her with difficulty towards the entrance of this majestic mansion.

Once sheltered from the rain under the imposing porch, in front of a superb massive wooden door on which are carved thistle blossoms, Athena shifts her backpack in one hand so she can have the other free to use to make her presence known.

The girl had to jump lightly despite her faded feet in order to reach the golden knocker in the shape of a lion's head.

When Athena manages to grab her with the tips of her fingers, leaving a few bloody prints on it, she strikes quickly before falling back painfully to her feet, while letting go of the knocker.

She waited then, in the hope that her weak knock would alert someone to her presence.

The porch protected her perhaps from the falling rain which is more abundant than that of Nenana, but not from the cold and humidity.

Finally the manor door opens in front of her...


	14. Minerva's first day of summer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Minerva McGonagall just returned home for summer vacation and finds herself shocked when an unexpected guest arrives

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OC House Elf
> 
> The dialogue will be especially towards the end of this chapter

**McGonagall Family Mansion, Higlands, Scotland, July 3, 1988...**

Minerva McGonagall had changed little in almost seven years, she had a few light wrinkles from stress as well as being part of the Protective. In addition to worrying about the incarceration of Bellatrix which she was still in love with after all these years, and especially because of the kidnapping and the absence of her goddaughter.

The Scottish woman had remained physically the same as when she and Bellatrix founded the Protectors of Balance.

The Hogwarts Deputy Headmistress had just returned that very morning to her home, the ancestral mansion of the McGonagall family. She was happy to be back in her family home, despite the love she has for her personal quarters at the magic school.

Even every summer, Minerva felt both happy and a little saddened at the end of another school year.

It was certainly a joy to be able to take a break from teaching and get away from Dumbledore as well as seeing some of the students progress in their learning.

On the other hand, it still saddened she a little bit of duty say goodbye, sometimes even goodbye, to seventh-year students who have finally graduated. Although she will always be proud to have been able to see these people evolved since they were eleven years old.

What really bothered Minerva was especially that now that the school was closed for the holidays, she did not have her job to distract her and occupy her mind off the fact that another school year had passed without any progress from the Protectors on the search for Athena Black.

But it also meant that she now had more time to devote to this task of finding the girl kidnapped by Albus Dumbledore.

Minerva could also set up more meetings for the Protectors and none of the Hogwarts professors in their secret organization would have to interact with the deceitful headmaster of the magic school before the start of september, this being certainly the best part of her summer vacation.

The upside being that Dumbledore was totally unaware of the location of the McGonagall ancestral mansion, which was the reason why the Protectors had made Minerva's home their headquarters by choosing, from their foundation, Bellatrix (supposed to be one of Minerva's greatest enemies) as guardian the secret of where the mansion is located.

When she arrived that morning, Minerva had started making a to-do list, as she had done habit, and she was into her usual summer job.

She had initially decided to spend most of her morning cleaning her huge mansion, uninhabited for a full school year, with the help of her trusty house elf, Machar.

Machar had been a free elf, so to speak, since before Minerva was born, but the McGonagall family had treated him so well and welcomed him as a full member that he chose to continue serving them, which was fortunate for Minerva who often wondered what she would have done without him.

**Once the place has been repaired to be occupied and thoroughly cleaned ...**

Minerva had given Machar his afternoon a  
once he had served her dinner.

The Scottish woman eats her house elf's delectable cuisine, relaxing for a few moments before take care of some tasks related to Protectors.

**She walks to her office ...**

He spent the next few hours there writing coded letters to other members of the organization. Informing them all that their first meeting for this summer would take place a week later, the following friday.

Once the letters are sent to their respective recipients, she uses the rest of her afternoon, locked in her office, to check her files used to find her goddaughter. She looks at her notes trying to come up with new ideas that would allow her to find the now one-year-old girl  
little over seven years.

Minerva was aware that this was also the number one priority of the other Protectors including the Veela clan Delacourt located in France.

Deep in her research, Minerva barely notices the time that has passed and does not stop her research until Machar comes to advise her that it is supper time.

Heaving a sigh resigned, the woman decides to leave this task to the next day and to relax for the rest of the day, she gets up and joins her house elf for a well-deserved supper.

**It is now the beginning of the evening ...**

Minerva relaxes after her meal in her living room reading a Muggle novel she introduced to Bellatrix a few years ago before the other woman's incarceration. The elder of the Blacks had greatly appreciated the book written by Guy des Cars which is entitled; La Maudite.

Minerva has just entered the middle of the second chapter of this book, when Machard comes quickly into the living room to advise her that someone is currently knocking on the mansion's doors.

The Scottish woman looks up in astonishment at the house elf, both of them wondering who it could be, especially at this late hour.

If he was one of the Protectors, he would have announced himself in the first place by letter or by patronus, and he would surely have used the chimney network connected to all the residences of the group, given the horrible temperature outside.

If another magical being had apparated inside her wards or used a portkey, she would have it immediately. felt. And anyone with bad intentions would have been stuck at the gate and therefore would not reach the doors.

This meant that either a magical being who was not a Protector and not against them had apparated outside the wards and walked in inclement weather to the gates of the mansion.

Either it's a Muggle who braved the storm for some reason and is now on her porch.

Now extremely curious, Minerva decides to go see who it is. She advises Machar to stay in hiding in case their unexpected guest turns out to be a muggle, the elf of house nods in understanding and apparates straight away into the mansion's kitchen.

Minerva rises slowly from her armchair near the fireplace in the living room, the fire still burning, for although it is summer the rainy temperature of the Higlands is raging, cooling the ancestral home considerably.

She places her novel on a small side table in wood located next to the armchair and goes to the entrance hall.

**Once at the gates of her mansion ...**

Minerva opens one of them at the exact moment another knocker knock on the outside ends.  
"Yes, what is it?" She asks sternly in her best assistant principal's tone.

That tone instantly dies and Minerva freezes suddenly, once the door to her residence is fully opened. The sight meeting her emerald green eyes behind her square glasses makes her lose her strict allure faster than Nymphadora can take a new look.

In front of the Scottish woman is now standing a single little girl, no older than five years according to Minerva. The child is scarcely dressed, a thin, oversized long-sleeved sweater, faded and torn jeans with fabric sneakers with holes in several places.

The child is soaked in the cold rain, she sniffs pitifully with her head bowed, her knees and her hands appearing to be bloody. The girl hugs her body, clasping a backpack that seems to have had better days.

Minerva is totally in shock at this unexpected sight. The little girl, who still has her head bowed, then speaks.  
"Please, ma'am ..." She stutters. "I am lost ... and I ... I'm sorry to ... both..."

The girl doesn't finish her sentence, instead she sneezes loudly, finally breaking Minerva's state of shock.  
"Oh by Merlin!" Exclaims the Scottish woman. "Come in quickly and protect yourself from this rain, young girl."

She uses a gentle tone that she usually takes to comfort a student in need or when caring for the children of the Protectors.

It is obvious to Minerva that despite the courage shown by the little girl by knocking on her door for help, the child beware of a complete stranger today.

 _(Um, a sensitive and intelligent little girl.)_ Minerva thinks as she opens her door a little more and ushering the nervous little girl into the mansion.

The child looks grateful from the shelter from the rain, but she also seems to feel awkward as Minerva closes the front door of the mansion behind them.

The owner of the place turns to the little girl, who still has her head bowed and looks tiny thus placed in the middle of the vast entrance hall of the McGonagall mansion.  
"Come, young girl, follow me." Minerva said softly holding out a hand to the child.

The little girl looks at the hand with apprehension and suspicion, then, after a moment, cautiously comes forward and takes it slowly.

 _(It almost looks like she's worried it's a trap.)_ Minerva muses worriedly at the child's attitude.

She decides to put that aside, for now at least, and take care of the physical aspect of her surprise guest instead.

Minerva therefore quietly leads the girl to the living room to take care of her and find out where she came from and how she got to her mansion.


	15. A lost and vulnerable child

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Minerva realizes that her unexpected guest is certainly not being treated well and she makes a shocking discovery about the girl

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mentions of abuse, talks about Athena's childhood with the Neveran

**In the living room of McGonagall Mansion, Higlands, Scotland, July 3, 1988 ...**

Minerva has just led the injured little girl, the one who arrived a few moments earlier at the gates of her mansion, into the living room.

She gently takes the child to her chair  
favorite and carefully lifts the little girl who is stretched out until Minerva is finished settling her on the chair and release it.

The girl places her backpack by her side, between her right arm and the armrest of the chair, as if to protect him.

Minerva watches the child who keeps her head firmly lowered, hiding most of her face with her black hair.

The Scottish woman decides to attempt to question the girl in hope to understand where she is from and what happened to her to be in such a pitiful state.

Minerva tries to assess how to approach the child correctly in order to let the little girl open up to her a little. She decides to start with the reassured and inquires about her condition.  
"I know you must be a little scared right now, and especially suspicious of me since I'm a stranger." She declares. "But I assure you that you don't have to worry that I might harm you, you have nothing to fear from me or anything in my home, I'll take care of you too good that I do with my students."  
"You... are you a teacher?" Softly asks the little girl.

Minerva gives a reassuring soft smile, although the child cannot see it with her head bowed.  
"Yes I am." Minerva answers. "And I'm also the vice-principal of the school where I teach, but I believe we can discuss this later if that you're interested, for now we need to clean your knees and treat them, then get you out of your soaked clothes before they get too cold, and make you sick."

The child seems hesitant in her posture, but she shyly nods her head in agreement with her host.  
"Thank you, ma'am .. uh, I mean, teacher." She stutters politely.

Even without seeing her face, Minerva spots a small smile in the child's words. The Scottish woman leans towards the coffee table near the armchair and silently summons a wandless first aid kit in taking care that the child cannot notice its magic.

Minerva decides to put the child a little more in confidence by asking she her first name so as not to be completely a stranger in the eyes of the girl.  
"What's your name, young lady?"  
"Athena, teacher." Automatically responds the child.

Minerva pauses in her movements when hearing the girl's first name, but she quickly recomposes herself so as not to worry the child more.  
"Well ... Athena." She says. "My name is Minerva McGonagall, and as I said earlier, I am a teacher therefore I am used to kids, although my students are older than you in general, but I can assure you that you don't have to worry about me."

She finishes her sentence at the same time as she finishes treating Athena's knees.

The girl fidgets a little, seeming hesitant, when she dares to speak, she does so timidly and uncertainly.

 _(Almost scared that I could get mad at her for daring to address me.)_ Mentally note Minerva at the moment.  
"Teacher, I ... I also ... hurt my hands." Informs Athena.

She holds out her small palms encrusted with bloody glasses so that Minerva can see them. The Scottish woman grimaces in sympathy at the little girl's physical condition.  
"Oh, poor little thing." She sighs, gently shaking her head. "Come on and hold your hands over this bowl."

She moves the coffee table closer to Athena and points to the red porcelain bowl with golden floral patterns on it.

Athena does as Minerva asks her and puts her hands over the bowl, the Scottish woman then pours lukewarm water on the small injured hands in front of her, ridding the palms of blood and dirt.

Minerva then takes a pair of tweezers to extract the pieces of glass from Athena's hands.

The girl bites her lower lip, but she doesn't make a sound besides a small moan of pain as Minerva uses pharmaceutical alcohol at the end.

 _(It is both impressive and disturbing that a child her age manages not to complain when it is obvious that with her condition she must be in pain.)_ Notes Minerva.

She wipes then wraps the little hands in bandages made of a light and soft material. Athena seems to be starting to relax.

 _(I am clearly falling, strangely, near the right door to knock on.)_ Athena thinks with relief.

Minerva closes the first aid kit and looks at Athena.  
"I'll go get a blanket and towels, Athena." She informs. "Then we can get you out of those wet clothes."

**She gets up and leaves the living room, letting the child relax and perhaps become less suspicious of her ...**

Once back in the entrance hall of the mansion, Minerva discreetly summons a blanket and towels, once she has them in her hands, she waits a few moments in the hall before returning to the living room.

**When she arrives in the room ...**

Athena seems to have waited patiently for she, her head still tilted down, her face still hidden from Minerva.

Minerva approaches the girl and helps her, with slow, gentle and considerate gestures so as not to frighten Athena, to take off the clothes soaked by the cold rain.

Once done, Minerva widens her eyes and frowns, while pursing her lips to prevent a horrified dumbbell from escaping her at the sight of the many scars and bruises visible on the child's body.

 _(Oh Merlin, who dares do this to a child who must barely be nearly five?)_ She thinks disgusted.

With her hands shaking, Minerva dries as gently as possible Athena with the towels, then wraps the little girl in the warm, fluffy blanket she brought, adding another towel to Athena's lap at the end.

After Minerva finishes taking care of her, Athena feels more confident in the teacher, more secure.

 _(She looks at me and takes care of me almost the same way Felix did.)_ Athena muses sadly, thinking of the dead man only a few hours earlier in the day.

She snuggled up in the chair, seeking some sort of comfort, surrounded by the soft warm blanket, finally dry and sheltered from the storm. Her hands and knees still itch a bit, but they are now neat and clean.

Minerva has just left the living room, after taking a look at Athena.  
"You can make yourself comfortable." She advises just before leaving the room. "I'm coming back quickly."

Athena had nodded, feeling, for the first time since she had seen Felix's body being taken away by the police and paramedics, relaxed and safe, even a little ... happy.

**Meanwhile, Minerva goes to her kitchen ...**

Once in the room, she calls Machar and informs him of what has happened since he warned her about someone knocking on the mansion's doors.  
"I would like you to quickly cook a consistent meal and a nice hot drink for Athena." Mention Minerva.  
"Of course, I hurry to do this, Mistress Minerva." Accepts Machar, quickly getting to work.

Minerva walks over to the cabinet by the sink to pick up a chili pepper potion and a keen eye potion brewed by Severus Snape himself.

Minerva wants to prevent Athena from falling sick because of the cold rain, for that she is going to make her take the potions, telling her that it is medicine.

While she takes the vials, she comes to wonder how the little girl could have found herself lost and alone in the middle of the Scottish Highlands in the middle of a thunderstorm and almost two hours walk from the village of more closer to the McGonagall estate .

 _(I'll have to find out where she's from and also make sure she's safe.)_ Minerva muses.

The wounds on Athena's body really worry her a lot, regardless that judging by the thinness of the girl, she must be malnourished and not eat properly.

 _(At least she's well-behaved and in good manners, she's visibly behaved well, besides being very polite, though, ominously, enough submissive.)_ Minerva thinks with a heavy sigh.

There is of course another thing that upsets Minerva, besides her instinct telling her that it is no coincidence that the little girl found herself near the McGonagall estate.

No, it is indeed the first name that the child gave her that has tormented her since she heard it.

 _(Athena is not a common first name, much less for a child and especially not for a Muggle.)_ Think Minerva.

To be completely honest, Athena is also not common among wizards.

 _(Athena ... the first name of Bella's child and Apolline Delacourt's niece.)_ Think Minerva.

Athena is also the first name of the Hogwarts heiress, but above all, it is the first name of Minerva's goddaughter.

The Scottish woman sighs sadly.

 _(This girl can't be Athena Black, that's_  
 _Impossible that this is the child that we have been trying in vain to find for almost seven years ... she seems to have barely five, unless it was due to her food which does not seem sufficient?)_ Reflects Minerva.

Although, despite this thought, she couldn't help but notice that the child presently in her living room with the inky black hair of Bellatrix and the pale skin that every French veela sports, such as Charles Aqua and his cousins Delacourt.

But Minerva doesn't have time to dwell on her thoughts, not when she has a lost and vulnerable child to care for.  
"Here is the meal for that little girl, Mistress McGonagall." Machar declares with a wave of his hand that brings up a tray of food with a hot drink in front of Minerva.

The Scottish woman takes them thanking her house elf and heads back to her living room.

**When she enters the room again ...**

She sees Athena holding on gently strap her backpack trying to dry it off with the towel on her lap.

 _(She seems to be very attached to that backpack, or what's in it.)_ Note Minerva.

Minerva walks up to the child and carefully sets the tray and hot drink on the coffee table in front of her.  
"Here, Athena, you can eat this." She said with a soft smile. "I brought you a Cook a Leekie, so you can use one hand and I also got you some hot Scotch milk to warm you up."

Athena appears to be looking at the food warily.  
"That's, uh ... nice, teacher, but ..." She hesitates in her words. "I have dinner today."

In a way, if she had been with Felix, Athena would have had her three meals a day but, despite Minerva's kindness, she still worries a little that it is some kind of trap and that the Neveran might learn that she had broken THEIR food rules.

Minerva frowns at the words and attitude of Athena, the alarm bells that were already ringing in her head were ringing loudly now.  
"Tell me, Athena, do you have supper?" Minerva asks cautiously, even though she thinks she already knows the answer to that question.  
"No." Athena responds, biting her lip hesitantly. "But, uh ... I ate for dinner and it is Friday ... that means I have to ... wait until Monday to get breakfast ... right ? "

Minerva is horrified at this question and swallows hard, trying not to be sick.

 _(By Merlin and Morgana! I suspected that this child was not eating enough, but this is just ... inhuman!)_ She thinks, suppressing a chill of horror.

She looks at Athena, trying to show that her next words are sincere, and not some sort of cunning the girl seems to think.  
"No, Athena." She said, trying to be as reassuring as possible. "In my mansion, a child eats when at least three times a day, or if he is hungry I offer him a snack, he can ask me when it is needed."  
"Alright, well ... thank you teacher." Accepts Athena, telling herself that Minerva must be like Felix.

She gently takes the spoon, begins to eat quietly, but then she greedily devours the food, remembering that she didn't know when she would have another good meal like that one.

Minerva observes Athena, more worried.  
"Tell me, Athena, do you have any idea where your parents are?" She asks.  
"I have no idea, teacher." The child answers between two bites. "I was abandoned at the orphanage when I was a baby, I was adopted when I was three, I'm seven now."  
"Oh, I see." Minerva said nodding her head.

 _(Seven years old ... to say I thought she was only five because of her thinness and size, it doesn't matter who the people caring for this child are, even without the sentence about eating only Monday, anyone would suspect she's not getting enough food.)_ Think Minerva.

She then tries to learn about the people taking care of Athena.  
"In that case, young lady, where are your adopted parents? Do you know?" Minerva asks.  
"Yes, teacher." Athena nods. "They left for the second honeymoon, in the tropics, for three weeks, it was Felix who looked after me during their absence."

Minerva notices that at the mention of this Felix, Athena seems to lose some of her appetite and her shoulders slump.

 _(Maybe if I get more information on her_  
 _adoptive parents and on this Felix I might know how she got here alone, hurt and lost.)_ Minerva mused.

Minerva questions the child a little more.  
"What are the names of your adoptive parents?"  
"Peter and Fiona Neveran, teacher, mine is Twist, Athena Twist." The girl answers, finally and correctly raising her head.

Athena's unique purple eyes set on greens  
emeralds by Minerva Mebonagall.

Minerva barely manages to keep her face neutral, but inside she is caught between joy and fear.

 _(IT'S Athena Black!)_ Her mind screams.

The daughter of Bellatrix Black and Charles Aqua, she has her goddaughter in front of her after almost seven years of unsuccessful search by protectors.

 _(But ... could I be wrong? No! ABSOLUTELY NOT!)_ Minerva yells in her head.

The girl's purple eyes are impossible to ignore, not to mention that now that Minerva sees the child's face, she notices that Athena is a perfect mix of Black women and French Veela women.

Suddenly, this situation becomes much more complex!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those interested, here's a link for a Cook a Leekie recipe and a recipe link for a Hot Scottish milk link
> 
> https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/16360/cock-a-leekie-soup/
> 
> https://www.canalvie.com/recettes/lait-chaud-au-caramel-1.1428595


	16. I was wrong

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Minerva asks Athena about how the little girl got to her mansion, then realizes that she is going to need help and to do some research

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dialogue especially at the beginning of the chapter

**In the living room of McGonagall Manor, Higlands, Scotland, on the night of July 13, 1988 ...**

Minerva just realized that the lost and injured little girl whom she has been taking care of for a few hours is in reality Athena Black, her goddaughter whom she has been trying, with the other Protectors, to find for nearly seven years.

Minerva said nothing for a few moments, then she frowns.

 _(How can Athena be in such bad shape, in_  
 _no more getting lost in a thunderstorm in the middle of the Scottish Highlands?)_ Minerva worries.

She decides to question the little girl to get answers to her questions.  
"My dear, how did you get lost in the area?"  
"Felix, my babysitter, he went to get us something to eat at the shopping center for supper, he told me to wait for him on the park bench which is in front of the shopping center, because I wanted to continue reading my book and that we were there to start." Athena explains.

Minerva nods to show she's listening, so the girl continues her explanation.  
"I waited for it while reading, but I needed to go to the bathroom after a while so I went quickly, I wanted to go back to my bench right away, but ... well, I was distracted by a street show, but I quickly returned to my bench when I realized I had been watching entertainers for too long, and waited for Felix, but he didn't come back and it started to get dark so I went to get him, i was worried, but when I got to the mall, Felix was… he's…"

Suddenly Athena bursts into tears, worrying Minerva. The Scottish woman almost gestures to take the distressed child in her arms, but she remembers just in time how Athena tensed up when she picked her up earlier to put her on the chair, so she holds back and waits patiently for the little girl to calm down on her own.

Once she's finished sobbing, Athena informs Minerva of what happened to Felix.

 _(Oh misery, she saw her dead babysitter!)_ Think Minerva with sadness.

Athena takes a shaking breath and continues her story despite her upset condition.  
"I got scared." She admits. "I ran and it started to rain so I took shelter under a bus stop, but some drunk college kids got off and they chased me after they thought I was was against their sports team, so I started running again to get away from them, then ... there was like a hook behind my belly button that pulled me forward and I entered a narrow tube ... I believe, then I fell to the floor and when I got up I was in the field between your mansion and a town, I saw light in the distance, so I walked to your house."

 _(A hook feeling behind the belly button followed by feeling like you were in a narrow tube ... oh my Merlin! Had to do an accidental Apparation, but at such a young age, and without getting injured, that's ... amazing.)_ Minerva impress.

Athena looks miserable and terrified as she finishes her tale of how Felix died and how she got to the McGonagall Estate.

 _(She seems to be afraid that I will scold her for all of this, like she thinks it was her fault.)_ Minerva notes.

Sitting in the armchair located next to Athena's, Minerva decides to get up and go and sit on the large sofa in front of her, she gestures for the little girl to join her.

Slowly, cautiously, Athena goes to join Minerva on the sofa, and the Scottish woman takes quietly, with great attention, her goddaughter in her arms, hoping not to frighten her.

Athena, who is so unfamiliar with the genuinely affectionate gesture not hiding any form of malice, except from Felix, tensed at first, but after a few moments ... she relaxed and snuggled up against her godmother.  
"Hush, there you go kitty, everything is going to be fine." Calmly reassures Minerva, rocking the child. "You did absolutely nothing wrong I assure you, and you are safe here with me, now finish this meal before it gets cold and drink your medicine, I don't want you to get sick."  
"Okay." Accept Athena by returning to her chair.

She listens to Minerva's instructions and finishes the Cook A Leekie she had left, then she drinks the vials of potions that Minerva has to pour into a glass to make it easier to drink.  
"I'm done, professor." She informs after that.  
"I see this." Minerva says with a soft smile as the little girl gives a soft yawn. "Athena, would you like to go to sleep?"

Seeing the girl's hesitation, Minerva tries to get her to accept her suggestion.  
"It's very late, you are obviously exhausted and had a lot of strong emotions today, I happen to have several free rooms, would you like me to take you there."

 _(She offers me a room? A real room? I think ... I can trust her ... No, I KNOW I can trust her!)_ Thought Athena.

She nervously bites her lower lip, then nods.

Minerva gently lifts the child again, who is not tensing so much this time, and brings she upstairs to the top of the stairs in the entrance hall.

**Once upstairs ...**

Minerva directs Athena to the nearest bathroom, then leads her to one of her soothing cream-colored guest rooms, often used by Protectors when they had to stay after long meetings.

She gives Athena one of the children's pajamas that she keeps for the Protector children when they are at her mansion. She leaves the child to change alone then returns to place Athena in the queen-size bed.

 _(A real bed! It's so awesome.)_ Think Athena, feeling the softness of the mattress and pillows under her.

Minerva tucks her goddaughter into the most wonderful place of sleep the child has ever known, this mingled with the drowsiness of a good meal and the exhaustion of a rather horrible day gently sends Athena back to sleep.  
"Good night, professor." She said closing her beautiful purple eyes.  
"Good night, kitten, sleep well." Minerva answers.

A moment later, the little girl is sound asleep and Minerva silently leaves the room, with a soft smile on her face.

She leaves the child asleep in the guest bedroom and returns to the living room on the first floor.

**Once in the room ...**

She sits down in her chair again, her  
drooping smile. She takes off her glasses and rubs her face with the palms of her hands while heaving a heavy sigh. The whole night was almost too much for the Scottish woman to take.

Hope, hope was the one and only thing that got Minerva McGonagall to sleep  
in the last few years. The hope that despite all his bad deeds, Albus Dumbledore had at least left Athena Black in a loving home, even if it was with Muggles. The hope he had does the same with her goddaughter as he did with Severus and Lily's daughter.

But now Minerva realized how wrong she had been all this time. She now has the impression for having dropped not only Bellatrix but also Apolline Delacourt, the Athena's aunt. She felt guilty that she had not been able to find her goddaughter sooner and take care of the girl as she should have been after incarceration unfair Bellatrix to Azkaban.

 _(Merlin! I have to ask for help to have to contact Severus, he spends his summer vacation in hiding with Lily at Privet Drive near Harry, Petunia and Dudley ... Andy should be able to help out with her niece too, she is usually on leave from the ministry for the start of summer vacation because of Nymphadora, I will write to them and send owls immediately.)_ Thought Minerva upset but determined.

Once her decision is made, Minerva hastens to write two letters, one to the potions master and the other to the youngest of the Black sisters, in order to request them as quickly as possible to her mansion. It remains vague on the parchment in case the missives are intercepted.

When she finishes her writings, she summons two black owls from her aviary and sends them her messages, telling them that they must be quick.

After doing this task, she thinks about the next step.

 _(I have to find out where Athena lives, and the people she lives with, I have to take into account the exact way she was raised if I am to be able to get her guardianship legally like the Bellatrix and the Delacourts wanted from the start, maybe that I can find her home address in her backpack.)_ Minerva muses.

She gets up from her desk and goes to inspect the backpack that Atheha, completely exhausted, had left without noticing in the living room.

By opening the bag and taking the items inside, Minerva was confirmed that her suspicions were correct, the sleeping Athena upstairs is indeed her goddaughter, handmade baby blanket and magic weave Veela by Apolline Delacout for her niece was now in her hands.

 _(Apolline made the blanket and sent it from France to Bella after Bella sent her a letter informing Veela of the name she had chosen for the baby.)_ Minerva remembers fondly.

Luckily, in addition to the blanket, Minerva managed to find what she was looking for, that is, Athena's home address that was written on the back cover of the girl's Oliver Twist book.

 _(Alaska!? She Apparated uninjured from the United States!)_ Is surprised Minerva both impressive and worried that something might have happened to the child during her accidental magic.

Certainly for an adult sercier this sort of thing was not that complicated, but for a child ...! Either way, Minerva now knew where she needed to go to get answers about her goddaughter's education.

She put the blanket and the book back in the backpack and went to get her traveling cloak in the entrance hall.

**Once in the hall ...**

Minerva calls out to Machar, who immediately appears beside her.  
"Yes mistress?" Asks the house elf.  
"Athena is deep asleep upstairs in one of the guest rooms." Informs Minerva knowing full well that thanks to his powers Machar already knew everything that was said between the teacher and the child. "I poured a Dreamless Sleep potion into her warm Scottish milk so she shouldn't wake up for several hours, I'm going to cast some spells to warn you in case she wakes up before I get back, I want you watch over her while I go out to adjust some details."  
"Of course mistress, Machar will watch over the little Miss gladly, nothing will happen to she in your absence." Assures the devoted house elf.

Minerva nods, then concentrates on Apparating to Alaska.

A moment later she was gone ...


End file.
